Judge releases audio tape of President Ford’s would-be assassin

Nearly 40 years after a former Manson family member pointed a gun at President Gerald Ford, the audiotape from her pretrial psychiatric examination has been made public.

U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller granted the release of the 132-minute recording last week in response to a motion filed by the Sacramento Bee in November.

The recording of Lynette Alice “Squeaky” Fromme was made Sept. 21, 1975, a little more than two weeks after the 26-year-old Fromme aimed her pistol at Ford in Sacramento’s Capitol Park.

The gun did not go off.

Fromme was wrestled to the ground by a Secret Service agent.

The Sacramento Bee reports that in the recording, Fromme spoke confidently about her ability to represent herself at trial and be acquitted.

Fromme was convicted and remained in prison until she was released on parole in 2009.

Gerald and Betty Ford lived in Rancho Mirage after leaving the White House, and were active in the community.