President Nixon met with Richard Kleindienst and John Ehrlichman to discuss personnel matters for the second term, specifically the potential nomination of L. Patrick Gray as FBI Director and the political risks associated with his confirmation hearings regarding the Watergate scandal. The participants also evaluated potential government reorganizations, including the consolidation of narcotics enforcement resources and a proposed restructuring of the Customs, Border Patrol, and FBI investigative functions. Additionally, Nixon directed Kleindienst to pressure NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle to end television blackouts for sold-out playoff games, viewing it as a popular policy move that would benefit the public.
On December 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Richard G. Kleindienst, John D. Ehrlichman, and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:06 pm to 2:35 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 381-018 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 381-18
Date: December 18, 1972
Time: 2:06 pm – 2:35 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Richard G. Kleindienst and John D. Ehrlichman.
Insurance
-Golf
Golf
-Hole-in-one
-Kleindienst’s photograph in newspaper
Second term reorganization
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
-Schedule
-Connecticut
-Meeting with Kleindienst
-Health
-Florida
-Delay of meeting with the President
-Gen. Walter R. Tkach
-Habits
-J[ean] Paul Getty
-Telephone call from the President
-Age
-Wealth
-Habits
-Retention
-Negatives and positives
-Kleindienst’s conversation with John N. Mitchell
-Confirmation hearings
-Watergate
-Possible testimony
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 2:06 pm.
-35-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-08)
Conversation No. 381-18 (cont’d)
Temperature in office
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 2:35 pm.
Second term reorganization
-FBI
-Gray
-Confirmation hearings
-Watergate
-Politics
-Cronyism charge
-Watergate
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Possible Presidency
-Post-Presidency
-Republican
-Liberal Democrat
-Reform
-Field offices
-Discipline
-Timing
-Peter J. Pitchess
-Relationship with Kleindienst
-Qualities
-Age
-Political ability
-Age
-1976 election
-Republican
-Kennedy
-Richard G. Ogilvie
-Attorney General
-Political ability
-Background as governor
-Law firm
-Compared to Pitchess, Gray
-Pitchess
-Background
-36-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-08)
Conversation No. 381-18 (cont’d)
-Barry M. Goldwater’s California campaign chairman, 1964
-Los Angeles
-Compared to Gray
-Trust
-Gray
-Confirmation hearings
-Kennedy
-Birch E. Bayh, Jr.
-John V. Tunney
-G. Harrold Carswell
-1972 election
-1976 election
-Kennedy’s speech
-Conversation with the President
-The President’s conversation with Mitchell
-Confirmation hearings
-Senate Judiciary Committee
-James O. Eastland
-Confirmation hearings
-Kennedy, Bayh
-Commitments
-Conversation with the President
-The President’s schedule
-Florida
-Matthew Byrne
-Political orientation
-Democrat
-Los Angeles
-US attorney
-Objectivity
-Time article, November 6, 1972
-Source
-Unknown woman reporter
-Field offices
-Gray’s effort
-W. Mark Felt
-Gray’s view
-1972 election
-Mitchell’s view
-Gray
-37-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-08)
Conversation No. 381-18 (cont’d)
-Conversation with Kleindienst
-Kleindienst’s view
Mitchell
-Martha (Beall) Mitchell
-Health
-Watergate
-Responsibility
-Health
Second term reorganization
-Narcotics
-Allocation and use of resources
-Addicts
-US
-Compared to France
-Seale
-Epidemic
-Compared to France, Japan, Britain, Spain
-Customs
-Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs [BNDD]
-Roy L. Ash
-Recommendation
-Outsider status
-Kleindienst’s schedule
-Study
-Narcotics
-Ash
-John F. Gallagher [?]
-Budget
-Ash
-The President’s conversation with Kleindienst
-Customs
-Border Patrol
-Immigration and Naturalization Service [INS]
-Investigations
-Treasury Department
-Investigations
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Investigations
-38-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-08)
Conversation No. 381-18 (cont’d)
-BNDD
-Justice Department
-FBI
-J. Edgar Hoover
-FBI
-Hoover’s view
-Automobile thefts, kidnapping, organized crime, drugs, campus
riots
-Controversy
Hoover
-Late career
-Image
-Kleindienst’s view
-Departure
-Death
-The President’s breakfast meeting with Hoover, September 20, 1971
-Gray’s view
-Speeches
-The President’s meeting with Hoover
-John Mitchell’s schedule
-John Mitchell’s view
-Public relations [PR]
Professional football
-Washington Redskins playoff game
-Washington Post reporter
-Reference to “Negroes”
-Black, “Afro-Americans”
-Media relations
-Television [TV] blackout of playoff games
-Kleindienst’s viewing
-Kleindienst’s possible suit
-Edward Bennett Williams
-National policy
-Kleindienst’s conversation with Alvin R. (“Pete”) Rozelle
-Rozelle
-FBI
-Sellouts
-Super Bowl I
-39-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-08)
Conversation No. 381-18 (cont’d)
-Redskins-Buffalo Bills game
-Denver
-St. Louis
-Busch Stadium
-Redskins-Bills game
-Redskins-Bills game
-Ehrlichman’s attendance
-O[renthal] J[ames] Simpson
-Billy Kilmer
-Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants game
-Redskins-Bills game
-Ehrlichman’s attendance
-George Allen
-Media relations
-TV blackout of playoff games
-The President’s instructions
-Kleindienst’s forthcoming conversation with Rozelle
-Kleindienst’s meeting with the President
-Possible suit
-Kleindienst’s possible conversation with Williams
-Rozelle
-US District Court
-Injunction
-Compared to networks and re-runs
-The President’s efforts
-Hollywood
-National policy
-Kleindienst’s conversation with Williams
-The President’s schedule
-Florida
-Washington, DC voters
Second term reorganization
-The President’s conversation with Gray
-Deputy Secretary of Treasury
-Peter M. Flanigan
-Gray
-Qualifications
-Withholding of nomination
-Reasons
-40-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-08)
Conversation No. 381-18 (cont’d)
-International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT]
-Oil [Policy Committee order]
-Nomination
-John Mitchell’s concern
Watergate break-in
-John Mitchell’s concern
-Republican National Committee [RNC]
-White House involvement
-RNC
Second term reorganization
-Gray
-Nomination
-Kennedy, Tunney, Bayh
Professional football
-TV blackout of playoff games
-Kleindienst’s call to Rozelle
-Kleindienst’s conversation with Williams
-Possible suit
Kleindienst and Ehrlichman left at 2:35 pm.This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.