Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 139 › Conversation 139-002
Nixon phone call with Colson on IRS and Political Strategy
Tuesday, August 8, 1972 · 10:53 PM–11:31 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 1 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss using the IRS to target political opponents, specifically identifying the organization Common Cause as a potential subject for investigation. Nixon expresses frustration with bureaucratic inertia, urging Colson to pursue a more aggressive strategy by auditing Democratic-aligned groups in retaliation for similar tactics used against the administration. The conversation further addresses political maneuvers involving the Veterans of Foreign Wars and criticism directed at George McGovern.
- IRS
- Political Strategy
- Common Cause
- George McGovern
- Tax-exempt Status
- Bureaucracy
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On August 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 10:53 pm to 11:31 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 139-002 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 139-2
Date: August 8, 1972
Time: 10:53 pm - 11:31 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table
The President talked with Charles W. Colson.
[See Conversation No. 200-3]
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 30m 1s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFWs]
-Patrick E. Carr
-Louisiana
-Tax exempt status
-Carr’s comments about George S. McGovern
-Internal Revenue Service [IRS] investigation
-Colson's conversation with George P. Shultz
-The President’s view
-Common Cause
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 7m ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************Also recorded on August 9, 1972
- 139-001 9:10 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:10 pm and 10:53 pm.
- 200-001 9:10 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:10 pm and 10:53 pm.
- 200-002 10:15 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:15 pm and 10:53 pm.
- 200-003 10:53 PM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 10:53 pm to 11:31 pm.
- 200-004 11:31 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 11:31 pm on August 8, 1972 and 10:18 am on August 9, 1972.
- 200-005 10:19 AM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
- 200-006 10:19 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
- 200-007 10:19 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 139-002, August 9, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/139-002 (accessed October 12, 2026).