Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 934 › Conversation 934-007

Nixon, Kelley & Richardson on FBI and Senate confirmation

Thursday, June 7, 1973 · 11:22 AM–11:25 AM ET · Oval Office · 6 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kelley, Clarence M.; Richardson, Elliot L.Conversation934-007 on Tape 934StartThursday, June 7, 1973 at 11:22 AMEndThursday, June 7, 1973 at 11:25 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 934-007 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Attorney General Elliot Richardson and FBI Director-designate Clarence M. Kelley to coordinate strategy ahead of Kelley’s Senate confirmation hearings. The discussion focused on highlighting Kelley’s leadership potential and his record on reducing local crime rates to ensure bipartisan support. Nixon provided guidance on the themes Kelley should emphasize, specifically FBI cooperation with other law enforcement agencies and the administration's progress in crime reduction.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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All right.

Good idea.

All right.

So I guess this is pretty good.

I don't know.

Everybody is aware of the fact of this terrible inviting that's going on.

Does that sound all right to you?

Yeah, it's very good.

You can say that without any problems.

So I'll say just to establish a good cooperative basis for working together.

I look forward to the opportunity to work here and hope that I can instill the leadership in the organization that I feel I can give.

But I think the emphasis to the Bureau is, I think you might even say, gee, it's been encouraging to know the success we've been having, you know, and fighting the line across the country.

And the local level, you notice that it's standing.

In fact, since 69, there's been a reduction of 25%.

and that you hope that we can continue to make progress in reducing crime.

Outrage counts on the folks.

Good luck.

Thank you.

On you go.

Thank you.

And we will not go this way.

NARA Description

On June 7, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Clarence M. Kelley, and Elliot L. Richardson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:22 am to 11:25 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 934-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 934-7

Date: June 7, 1973
Time: 11:22 am - 11:25 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Clarence M. Kelley and Elliot L. Richardson. The White House
photographer and members of the press were present.

       Greetings

       Arrangements for photograph
             -Positioning of participants

       Congressional relations
             -House Judiciary Committee
                     -Possible visit by Kelley and Richardson
                             -Kelley’s accomplishments
                     -Confirmation
                             -Statements
                             -Senate
                             -Candidates

The White House photographer and members of the press left at an unknown time before 11:25
am.

       Kelley
                -[Police chief]
                        -Kansas City
                -Political affiliation
                        -Cabinet meeting
                                 -Richardson
                                 -Scott, Ford
                        -Bipartisan search for candidates
                        -Confirmation hearings
                                 -White House research of Kelley’s record
                                 -Work with law enforcement officers nationwide
                                            -13-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                              Conversation No. 934-7 (cont’d)

                             -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] cooperation with other
                              agencies
                             -Goals
                                    -Leadership
                             -Crime reduction
                                    -Local crime
                                    -Percentage
                     -President’s well wishes
                     -Directions within the White House

Richardson and Kelley left at 11:25 am.

Also recorded on June 7, 1973

124-006 10:04 AM · 1 hr 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, and Cabinet officers and staffers, including William P. Rogers, George P. Shultz, William P. Clements, Jr., Elliot L. Richardson, Rogers C. B. Morton, Earl L. Butz, Frederick B. Dent, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, Floyd H. Hyde, John W. Barnum, Roy L. Ash, Anne L. Armstrong, John A. Scali, Melvin R. Laird, Peter J. Brennan, Hugh Scott, Gerald R. Ford, George H. W. Bush, John B. Connally, General Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Peter M. Flanigan, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., William E. Timmons, General Brent G. Scowcroft, Raymond K. Price, Jr., David R. Gergen, David N. Parker, Gerald L. Warren, Frederic V. Malek, Arthur J. Sohmer, Herbert Stein, and the White House photographer, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 10:04 am to 11:19 am.
934-006 11:19 AM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:19 am and 11:22 am.
934-008 11:25 AM · 27 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:25 am and 11:33 am.
124-007 11:33 AM · 56 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William P. Rogers, and the Board of Trustees of the Council of the Americas, including Charles F. Barber, William E. Barlow, Jose Rafael Bejarano, Fletcher L. Byrom, John W. Clark, Donald M. Cox, Jose de Cubas, Alphonse DeRosso, John Diebold, John Duncan, Lewis W. Foy, John F. Gallagher, Gen. James M. Gavin, Henry R. Gyelin, Maurice F. Granville, A. S. Hart, William M. Hickey, Donald McI. Kendall, James R. Kennedy, Fritz G. Lindley, George J. Clark, Thomas D. Lumpkin, Augustine R. Marusi, Michael Miller, Frank R. Milliken, Michael W. Percopo, J. D. Ritchie, David Rockefeller, Rodman Rockefeller, J. Donald Rollins, Harvey L. Schwartz, Daniel Seymour, A. Thomas Taylor, Charles J. Zwick, Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft, William J. Jorden, the White House photographer, and members of the press, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 11:33 am and 12:31 pm.
934-009 11:33 AM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:33 am.
125-001 12:31 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:31 pm and 3:07 pm.
934-010 12:33 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:33 pm and 1:26 pm.
934-011 12:33 PM · 52 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:33 pm and 1:26 pm.

All 50 conversations from June 7, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 934-007, June 7, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/934-007 (accessed October 12, 2026).