Nixon's Enemies List

President Richard Nixon's Official Presidential Photograph, taken in 1971

"Nixon's Enemies List" is the informal name of what started as a list of President of the United States Richard Nixon's major political opponents compiled by Charles Colson, written by George T. Bell[1] (assistant to Colson, special counsel to the White House), and sent in memorandum form to John Dean on September 9, 1971. The list was part of a campaign officially known as "Opponents List" and "Political Enemies Project".

The list became public knowledge on June 27, 1973,[2] when Dean mentioned during hearings with the Senate Watergate Committee that a list existed containing those whom the president did not like. Journalist Daniel Schorr, who happened to be on the list, managed to obtain a copy of it later that day.[3]

A longer second list was made public by Dean on December 20, 1973, during a hearing with the Congressional Joint Committee on Internal Revenue Taxation.[4]

  1. ^ Dean, John (Winter 2005). "The enemies list revisited". Boston College Magazine. Archived from the original on July 7, 2006.
  2. ^ Axtell, Daniel G. "Nixon's First Enemies List". EnemiesList.info. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  3. ^ Yager, Jordy (January 6, 2009). "Journalist recalls the honor of being on Nixon's Enemies List". The Hill.
  4. ^ Axtell, Daniel G. "Nixon's Second Enemies List". EnemiesList.info. Retrieved October 24, 2016.