Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 200 › Conversation 200-006

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Lawrence F. O'Brien

Wednesday, August 9, 1972 · 10:19 AM–1:47 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation200-006 on Tape 200StartWednesday, August 9, 1972 at 10:19 AMEndWednesday, August 9, 1972 at 1:47 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 200-006 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon dictates a memorandum outlining an urgent political strategy to leverage an IRS investigation against Democratic National Committee Chairman Lawrence F. O'Brien. Nixon directs his staff to pressure the IRS to move immediately on auditing O'Brien's financial dealings with the Howard Hughes Tool Company and his campaign-related payments. The President emphasizes that swift, aggressive action is essential to create a pre-election political liability and prevent the move from being dismissed as a late-campaign smear.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 3 minutes of this recording (about 78% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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on a sort of confidential basis.
The fact that Brian had popped up in an investigation by IRS when he was still in office.
It was very smart of him to have any information we get on this matter.
It should not be held.
This was what was supposed to be.
I have mentioned this earlier in the service that a licensed O'Brien responds to a request that he submit to the voluntary IRS interrogation that he could be subpoenaed.
And this should not be handled on that basis.
At least a telephone call was made by the head of the IRS to O'Brien before O'Brien then stonewalled the subpoena.
Most important factor, however, is urgency.
I strongly urge that in addition to following through on the $190,000 that's paid to O'Brien for solicitors, and the $120,000 that's paid to the apology of Joe Napolitano,
He followed up on his returns in 1968 and O'Brien's as well, according to Connolly.
He earned approximately $9 million on paid bills.
He got paid bills after he was successful and made all the bills to make some money to the public.
O'Brien, at that time, of course,
but it was making a great deal out of the fact that he was an unpaid national chairman.
The Congress believes that following up on their meeting, the plaintiffs made their decision.
Here is the Congress' very strong conviction.
They're grabbing something on O'Brien.
Far more effective now than it will at a later time.
and we'll keep all of our Democratic opponents a little loose.
If we let it go, the more the charge will, the more possibility the charge will remain, but it's a last minute smear.
There isn't the highest priority to have.
And if he has the time, I'll be the first one to write IRS.
on this matter.
We are not concerned that we are not trying to develop a looping point in the case of the stereotype.
The very fact that the bride and associates received any money at all in the use of an experiment established should be put out.
The important thing is that the
The IRS audit of O'Brien began Thursday, and that means tomorrow at the very earliest.
This means that today, Wednesday, the call must be made by the head of the IRS to O'Brien so that the stage can be set for us today.
In the event that O'Brien was unsure about the terror, don't let him delay.

NARA Description

On August 9, 1972, 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. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 200-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 200-6

Date: August 9, 1972
Time: Unknown between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President dictated a memorandum.

     Campaign
        -John D. Ehrlichman
        -Lawrence F. O'Brien, Jr.
              -Internal Revenue Service [IRS] investigation
              -[Howard R.] Hughes Tool Company
              -Ehrlichman
              -Request by IRS
                   -Possible subpoena
              -Funds
              -Joe Napolitan
              -John B. Connally
              -Hubert H. Humphrey's campaign bills
              -Payment as Democrat National Committee chairman
                   -Connally
              -Letter to Internal Revenue Service needed
              -Hughes
              -Strategy
                   -Urgency

Also recorded 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.
  • 200-007 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.
  • 200-008 10:19 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-009 10:19 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-010 10:19 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-011 10:19 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-012 10:19 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-013 10:19 AM · 12 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.

All 23 conversations from August 9, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 200-006, 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/200-006 (accessed October 12, 2026).