Anaya Nolan
Richard Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. In 1974, Nixon became the first US president to resign from office, following the House Judiciary Committee's adoption of three articles of impeachment against him. The articles charged Nixon with obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress. The charges were related to the Watergate scandal, in which five men were arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in 1972. The burglars were employed by the Committee to Re-Elect the President, a campaign organisation formed to support Nixon's reelection.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Obstruction of justice | Impeding the investigation of the Watergate break-in, protecting those responsible, and concealing the existence of other illegal activities |
| Abuse of power | Using the office of the presidency to unlawfully use federal agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to violate the constitutional rights of citizens and interfere with lawful investigations |
| Contempt of Congress | Refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas |
| Campaign finance laws | Accepting money from International Telephone and Telegraph and American Milk Producers |
| Domestic Emoluments Clause | Violating Article II, Clause 7 of the Constitution |
| Tax fraud | N/A |
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What You'll Learn
Obstruction of justice
Richard Nixon was accused of three articles of impeachment, the first of which was obstruction of justice. This was in relation to the Watergate scandal, which began with the arrest of five men for breaking into the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel and Office Building in 1972. The burglars were seeking campaign intelligence and were employed by the Committee to Re-Elect the President (CRP), a campaign organisation formed to support Nixon's reelection.
Nixon was accused of attempting to impede the investigation into the Watergate break-in, protect those responsible, and conceal the existence of other illegal activities. This included the use of federal agencies to violate the constitutional rights of citizens and interfere with lawful investigations.
The impeachment inquiry staff reported evidence showing how Nixon had obstructed justice and abused presidential power during the investigation. This included the use of the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to violate citizens' constitutional rights.
Nixon's obstruction of justice charges also included the refusal to comply with congressional subpoenas and the refusal to cooperate with the Judiciary Committee's investigation.
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Abuse of power
Richard Nixon was accused of breaking several laws during his time as President of the United States. The most famous of these was the Watergate Scandal, in which Nixon was accused of obstructing justice and abusing his presidential power.
Nixon was accused of using the office of the presidency to unlawfully use federal agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to violate the constitutional rights of citizens and interfere with lawful investigations. He was also accused of establishing a covert White House special investigative unit, known as the "plumbers", which was dedicated to "plugging leaks" within the administration.
Nixon was also accused of using the Committee to Re-Elect the President (CREEP) to engage in "dirty tricks" to stymie the political and personal opposition. This included the break-in at the 1972 national headquarters of the Democratic Party in Washington’s Watergate Hotel, in which burglars were seeking campaign intelligence.
In addition to the Watergate Scandal, Nixon was also accused of other acts of wrongdoing, including the unconstitutional impoundment of federal funds appropriated for domestic programs, violations of the Constitution's Domestic Emoluments Clause, and tax fraud.
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Contempt of Congress
Richard Nixon was charged with three articles of impeachment: obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress.
The third article of impeachment against Nixon accused him of refusing to cooperate with the Judiciary Committee's investigation. This was in relation to the Watergate scandal, in which five men were arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel and Office Building. The burglars were seeking campaign intelligence and were employed by the Committee to Re-Elect the President (CRP), a campaign organisation formed to support Nixon's reelection.
Nixon's refusal to comply with congressional subpoenas was an attempt to impede the investigation of the Watergate break-in, protect those responsible, and conceal the existence of other illegal activities. This obstruction of justice included the use of the office of the presidency to unlawfully use federal agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as establishing a covert White House special investigative unit.
Nixon's actions in relation to the Watergate scandal constituted a clear case of contempt of Congress, as he refused to comply with the committee's subpoenas and impeded their investigation. This was a serious breach of the law and led to his eventual impeachment.
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Campaign finance laws
Richard Nixon was charged with three articles of impeachment: obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress. The first two charges related to Nixon's attempts to impede the investigation of the Watergate break-in, which was carried out by members of the Committee to Re-Elect the President (CREEP). CREEP was a campaign organisation formed to support Nixon's reelection. The burglars were seeking campaign intelligence.
The third charge was contempt of Congress, which related to Nixon's refusal to comply with congressional subpoenas.
During the hearings, evidence was also presented that the money given to the Nixon presidential campaign by International Telephone and Telegraph and American Milk Producers contravened campaign finance laws.
In the case of Nixon, it was alleged that the money given to his campaign by certain companies violated these laws. This could have given those companies undue influence over the administration, and may have been a factor in the decision to impeach the president.
However, enforcing campaign finance laws can be challenging, as it can be difficult to trace the source of campaign donations and to determine whether any laws have been broken. In the case of Nixon, it took a major scandal and a lengthy investigation to uncover the alleged violations of campaign finance laws. This highlights the importance of robust enforcement mechanisms and the need for transparency and accountability in political fundraising.
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Tax fraud
Richard Nixon was accused of tax fraud, but the details of this accusation are unclear. It is believed that Nixon made a donation to the National Archives and took a tax deduction. Tax Analysts estimated that Nixon may have saved himself as much as $285,000 over several years. The value of the deduction was uncertain, as no one had access to Nixon's tax returns. However, it was believed that Nixon's deductions were in the region of $570,000.
In July 1973, Tax Analysts accused Nixon of playing fast and loose with the tax laws. They questioned the deductions Nixon had taken for donating his official papers to the National Archives. They called for an independent audit of Nixon's returns, suggesting that the IRS was institutionally incapable of auditing presidential returns.
Nixon was also accused of obstructing justice and abusing presidential power during the investigation of the Watergate break-in. The money given to Nixon's presidential campaign by International Telephone and Telegraph and American Milk Producers was also believed to have contravened campaign finance laws.
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Frequently asked questions
Nixon was charged with three articles of impeachment: 1) obstruction of justice, 2) abuse of power, and 3) contempt of Congress.
The Watergate break-in refers to the 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel and Office Building. The burglars were employed by the Committee to Re-Elect the President (CRP), a campaign organisation formed to support Nixon's reelection.
Nixon was accused of attempting to impede the investigation into the Watergate break-in, protect those responsible, and conceal the existence of other illegal activities.
Nixon was accused of the unconstitutional impoundment of federal funds, violations of the Constitution's Domestic Emoluments Clause, and tax fraud.
Nixon resigned from the presidency following the House Judiciary Committee's adoption of three articles of impeachment against him.
