Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 281 › Conversation 281-040
Nixon & Haldeman on Judicial appointments and White House personnel
Thursday, October 21, 1971 · 2:25 PM–2:30 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 3 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to coordinate the internal management and public messaging regarding upcoming judicial and administrative appointments. The discussion centered on finalizing the selection processes involving key figures such as John Mitchell, Lawrence Walsh, and Warren Burger, while also addressing concerns regarding sensitive leaks. They further reviewed statistical data intended to support the President’s scheduled speech concerning his recent appointments.
Audio
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Position in tape: 03:10:51 – 03:13:43
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On October 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:25 pm and 2:30 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 281-040 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 281-40
Date: October 21, 1971
Time: Unknown between 2:25 pm and 2:30 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
Notifications of the President's selections
-John N. Mitchell
-Lawrence E. Walsh
-Warren E. Burger
-Walsh
-Leaks
-Mitchell
-Richard G. Kleindienst
-Richard A. Moore
-Leonard Garment
-John D. Ehrlichman
Statistics for the President's speech
-Presidential appointmentsAlso recorded on October 21, 1971
- 012-039 1:57 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:57 pm.
- 012-041 1:58 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:58 pm and 3:53 pm.
- 281-038 1:58 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:58 pm to 2:25 pm.
- 281-039 2:25 PM · 41 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:25 pm and 2:30 pm.
- 281-041 2:30 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:30 pm to 2:33 pm.
- 281-042 2:33 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:33 pm and 3:53 pm.
- 281-043 2:33 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:33 pm and 3:53 pm.
- 281-044 2:33 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:33 pm and 3:53 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 281-040, October 21, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/281-040 (accessed September 28, 2026).