Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 719 › Conversation 719-013

Nixon & Butterfield on FBI political neutrality and Labor relations

Thursday, May 4, 1972 · 12:22 PM–12:28 PM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation719-013 onTape 719 (tape position 02:23:49–02:27:16)StartThursday, May 4, 1972 at 12:22 PMEndThursday, May 4, 1972 at 12:28 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 719-013 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Alexander P. Butterfield to discuss the administrative handling of upcoming meetings with labor officials, including Frank E. Fitzsimmons. The discussion emphasized the President's desire to keep the FBI strictly out of political matters and addressed the coordination of paperwork involving Charles W. Colson. Nixon instructed Butterfield to ensure that certain executive board actions were finalized promptly once the necessary documentation was received.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 167.4 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 155.3 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 02:23:49 into the tape and ends around 02:27:16.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) ·JSON data · Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.

2:23:01And he asked you about it, and you said, no, you shouldn't be in it.

2:23:04The Bureau is going to stay out of politics.

2:23:07Good, yes.

2:23:07He said that.

2:23:08That'd be very good.

2:23:09In fact, the word will get all around everywhere.

2:23:10That's right.

2:23:11You can say that.

2:23:11You can say, well, for example, you're in San Diego.

2:23:14You asked to do monitor politics.

2:23:15You had one here.

2:23:16I said, get out of here.

2:23:18I said, take her over.

2:23:19One of his strengths, he's never been a part of politics.

2:23:23I want the barrel totally out of it, so stay out of it.

2:23:27Right.

2:23:28Fair enough.

2:23:29Yes, thank you.

2:23:35Thank you for the honor.

2:23:37Just to serve you, as I said yesterday.

2:23:40Goodbye, sir.

2:23:42You'll do all right.

2:23:46Thank you, sir.

2:23:46Put those people behind me.

2:25:43Mr. President, the problems with the sentence are still on the paperwork.

2:25:46I don't know if you can answer that.

2:25:51Colson has the three other members of the executive board on action.

2:25:56I know her.

2:25:57Would he rather delay the collapse or his launch?

2:25:59Would he rather wait until the sentence gets back?

2:26:03It would be stronger.

2:26:04Oh, I don't know what the sentence is.

2:26:06When does Colson, when would he like to have it?

2:26:08As soon as the sentence comes over here.

2:26:11We'll get it out to him.

2:26:12I hope so.

2:26:15It's a ring you like to see in the meantime.

NARA Description

On May 4, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:22 pm and 12:28 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 719-013 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 719-13

Date: May 4, 1972
Time: Unknown after 12:22 pm and before 12:28 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

     President's schedule
          -Meeting with Frank E. Fitzsimmons and Weldon L. Mathis
                 -Location
                 -Timing
                 -Charles W. Colson
                       -Schedule
                 -Fitzsimmons
          -Other meetings
                 -Richard A. Moore

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 12:28 pm.

                                          (rev. Jan-02)

Also recorded on May 4, 1972

719-011 12:01 PM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:01 pm and 12:03 pm.
719-012 12:03 PM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon, L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III, Beatrice Gray, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:03 pm to 12:22 pm.
719-014 12:22 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:22 pm and 12:28 pm.
719-015 12:22 PM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, Rose Mary Woods, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:22 pm and 12:47 pm.
719-016 12:47 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:47 pm and 12:49 pm.
719-017 12:49 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Nellie L. Yates met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:49 pm to 12:51 pm.
719-018 12:51 PM · 57 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:51 pm and 12:56 pm.
719-019 12:56 PM · 26 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Frank E. Fitzsimmons, Raymond Schoessling, Joseph Trerotola, William J. McCarthy, Welon L. Mathis, Charles W. Colson, White House photographer, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:56 pm to 1:21 pm.

All 48 conversations from May 4, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 719-013, May 4, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/719-013 (accessed September 18, 2026).