Political Spycraft Seen in Nixon Papers

Newly released documents from Richard Nixon's years in the White House are shedding more light on the president's appetite for political espionage.

Along with tracking Sen. Ted Kennedy's amorous activities, Nixon's aides secretly hired a journalist traveling with Democratic presidential candidates to give them inside reports on Democratic infighting. The existence of "Chapman's Friend," as the source was code-named, has long been known. The materials released Monday include a selection of the source's reports.

In all, the Nixon Presidential Library opened about 280,000 pages of records from the Nixon White House, 12 hours of sound recordings and 7,000 images by White House photographer Oliver F. Atkins.

Nixon Presidential Library & Museum

Last year, the Nixon Presidential Library released over 150 hours of audio recordings - covering everything from Vietnam to Roe v. Wade.

Sampling of Nixon audio tapes released last year:

Nixon asks Peter J. Brennan about the number of civilians killed by the North Vietnamese
Henry Kissinger informs Nixon in 1973 that Sen. John Stennis has been shot
Nixon Wishes LBJ "Happy New Year"
Bob Hope Wishes Nixon "Happy Birthday"