# United States: Nixon White House "enemies list" naming journalists, September 1971

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 2 sources.

Status: in effect, as of 2026-09-22.

What we don't know: The sources cited do not give the complete roster of journalists on every version of the list, or whether any individual reporter was audited because of it.

On September 9, 1971, the office of Charles Colson, special counsel to the president of the United States, Richard Nixon, sent White House Counsel John Dean, the president's lawyer on official matters, a memorandum naming 20 people as an initial "enemies list." The list named political opponents, including journalists, for possible action through federal agencies, such as tax audits by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the United States federal tax agency. The IRS commissioner, Donald C. Alexander, refused to launch audits of the people on the list. The lists became public during the Watergate investigations into Nixon's White House.[1]

- Country: [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us)
- Where: United States
- Level of government: National
- Tactic: Surveillance and subpoenas
- Head of government at the time: [Richard Nixon](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/richard-nixon)
- Outcome: Unknown. No ruling or formal rescission applies; the lists became public during the Watergate investigations of 1973 to 1974.
- Era: The 1970s

## What happened

On September 9, 1971, the office of Charles Colson, special counsel to the president of the United States, Richard Nixon, sent White House Counsel John Dean a memorandum, drafted by the aide George T. Bell, naming 20 people as an initial "enemies list." A longer master list of hundreds of names was compiled over the following years.[1][2][3][4]

On August 16, 1971, Dean had written a memo about "how we can use the available federal machinery to screw our political enemies," including through tax audits, denial of federal grants and contracts, and litigation.[1][2][3][4]

Journalists were among the people named on the versions of the list, including the CBS News correspondent Daniel Schorr. The IRS commissioner, Donald C. Alexander, refused to launch audits of the people on the list. The lists became public during the Watergate investigations.[1][2][3][4]

Status as of 2026-09-22: Ended. The lists became public during the Watergate investigations and are part of the historical record.[4]

## What reason was given

No public justification was issued. An internal White House memo by Dean described the purpose as "how we can use the available federal machinery to screw our political enemies."[2]

## What changed for reporting

Journalists named on the list faced possible federal scrutiny, including tax audits. The IRS did not carry out the audits on the people listed.[3]

## Timeline

- 1971-09-09: United States: Nixon White House "enemies list" naming journalists, September 1971

## Who acted

| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Charles Colson](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/charles-colson) | ordered | Special Counsel to the President (Nixon administration) |
| [Richard Nixon](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/richard-nixon) | other | President of the United States (1969-1974) |

## Sources

1. Nixon's Enemies List. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon's_Enemies_List (Wikipedia).
2. Richard M. Nixon. https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/richard-m-nixon/ (The Free Speech Center, MTSU).

## Claims cited

[1] Colson's office sent the initial enemies-list memorandum to John Dean. Quote: "sent in memorandum form to John Dean on September 9, 1971" Source: Wikipedia. Nixon's Enemies List. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon's_Enemies_List Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/59, checked 2026-09-22.

[2] No public justification was issued; internal memos described the intent privately. Quote: "how we can use the available federal machinery to screw our political enemies" Source: Wikipedia. Nixon's Enemies List. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon's_Enemies_List Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/60, checked 2026-09-22.

[3] Journalists were among the political opponents named for potential tax audits and other federal action. Quote: "Daniel Schorr, journalist" Source: Wikipedia. Nixon's Enemies List. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon's_Enemies_List Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/61, checked 2026-09-22.

[4] The lists are part of the public historical record from the Watergate era. Quote: "sent in memorandum form to John Dean on September 9, 1971" Source: Wikipedia. Nixon's Enemies List. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon's_Enemies_List Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/62, checked 2026-09-22.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1971-nixon-white-house-compiles-enemies-list. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.