This part implements title I of the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act (PRMPA, 44 U.S.C. 2111 note) with respect to the Presidential historical materials of the Richard M. Nixon Administration (covering the period beginning January 20, 1969, and ending August 9, 1974). This part applies to all Nixon Presidential historical materials in the custody of the Archivist of the United States pursuant to the PRMPA, and prescribes policies and procedures by which the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) preserves, protects, and provides access to them.

The Archivist of the United States has or will obtain exclusive legal custody and control of all Presidential historical materials of the Nixon Administration held pursuant to the provisions of title I of the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act.

As used in part 1275, the following definitions apply:

(a) Presidential historical materials. The term Presidential historical materials (also referred to as historical materials and materials) means all papers, correspondence, documents, pamphlets, books, photographs, films, motion pictures, sound and video recordings, machine-readable media, plats, maps, models, pictures, works of art, and other objects or materials made or received by former President Richard M. Nixon or by members of his staff in connection with his constitutional or statutory powers or duties as President and retained or appropriate for retention as evidence of or information about these powers or duties. Included in this definition are materials relating to the political activities of former President Nixon or members of his staff, as well as matters relating to President Nixon's private political associations that have no connection with the constitutional or statutory powers or duties of the President or a member of his staff. Excluded from this definition are documentary materials of any type that are determined to be the official records of an agency of the Government; private or personal materials; stocks of publications, processed documents, and stationery; and extra copies of documents produced only for convenience or reference when they are clearly so identified.

(b) Private or personal materials. The term private or personal materials means those papers and other documentary or commemorative materials in any physical form relating solely to the personal and family issues of President Nixon, his family, and his friends and that have no connection with his constitutional or statutory powers, or duties of the President or any member of the President's staff. (Materials relating to private political associations, including matters relating to the Republican Party and election campaigns, that have been donated to NARA by the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace Foundation pursuant to a 2007 deed of gift are excluded from this definition.)

(c) Abuses of governmental power popularly identified under the generic term “Watergate.” The term abuses of governmental power popularly identified under the generic term “Watergate” (also referred to as abuses of governmental power), means those alleged acts, whether or not corroborated by judicial, administrative, or legislative proceedings, which allegedly were conducted, directed, or approved by President Richard M. Nixon, his staff, or persons associated with him in his constitutional or statutory functions as President, or as political activities directly relating to or having a direct effect upon those functions, and which:

(1) Were within the purview of the charters of the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities or the Watergate Special Prosecution Force; or

(2) Are described in the Articles of Impeachment adopted by the House Committee on the Judiciary and reported to the House of Representatives for consideration in House Report No. 93-1305.

(d) General historical significance. The term general historical significance means having administrative, legal, research, or other historical value as evidence of or information about the constitutional or statutory powers or duties of the President, which an archivist has determined is of a quality sufficient to warrant the retention by the United States of materials so designated.

(e) Archivist. The term Archivist means the Archivist of the United States or the Archivist's designated agent. The term archivist means an employee of NARA who, by education or experience, is specially trained in archival science.

(f) Agency. The term agency means an executive department, military department, independent regulatory or non-regulatory agency, Government corporation, Government-controlled corporation, or other establishment in the executive branch of the Government including the Executive Office of the President. For purposes of § 1275.32 only, the term agency also includes the White House Office.

(g) Staff. The term staff means those people whose salaries were paid fully or partially from appropriations to the White House Office or Domestic Council; who were detailed on a non-reimbursable basis to the White House Office or Domestic Council from any other Federal activity; who otherwise were designated as assistants to the President, in connection with their service in that capacity; or whose files were sent to the White House Central Files Unit or Special Files Unit, for purposes of those files.

(h) Classified national security information. The term classified national security information means any matter which is designated as classified under applicable law, or under E.O. 13526, Classified National Security Information (December 29, 2009), or its successors.