University of Tennessee Knoxville - Volunteer Yearbook (Knoxville, TN)

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ABOVE: President Nixon speaks at a dinner during the Watergate CTISiS. LEFT: Gerald Ford, after becoming President, is ushered through the crowd, Issues and Events - 21

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America's tragedy of Watergate winds to a close The American tragedy of Watergate wound to a close, ending the nation's worst political scandal. Watergate had resulted in the forced resignation of President Richard Nixon and criminal cases against more than 40 men, includ- ing two Attorney Generals. two Cabinet Secretaries, and more than a dozen White House staffers. Three of Nixon's top aides were con- victed January 1 of conspiring to cover up their involvement in Watergate. Former Attorney General John Mitchell and HR. Haldeman and John Ehrlickman, the men who ran Nixon's white house, were all convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and lying. The verdicts came on 20 e Issues and Events the Watergate cover-up trial's 63rd day in US. District Court Judge John Sirica's Washington courtroom. Judge Sirica stunned the nation on January 8 by freeing John Dean, Jeb Stuart Magruder and Herbert Kalmbach from prison terms. Dean, Nixon's former legal counsel, and Magruder, deputy di- rector of Nixon's 1972 re-election cam- paign, had earlier been convicted of ob- structing justice. Kalmbach, Nixon's one time personal lawyer, had been ruled guilty of violating the Federal Corrupt Practicer Act and promising an ambassa- dorshlp in return for a campaign contri- bution. Sirica gave no specific reason for his action, saying only that, I did what I thought was right. Dean and Magruder were responsible for breaking open the cover-up by making disclosure to the prosecution. Both served as government witnesses in the Water- gate cover-up trial. Dean served four in prison, Magruder seven months, and Kalmbach six. Watergate did have some good results, Special prosecutor Leon Jaworski said, Watergate has done a tremendous amount of good for better government. Those who seek office know there's a very high standard expected of them. It has made its impression deep-rooted. The good that comes out of it won't be a passing fancy. 3e? 3N

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Many questions concerning what came to be called Watergate may never be answered because on September 8, Pres- ident Ford announced that he was grant- ing Richard Nixon a full, free, and absolute pardon for any and all crimes that may have been committed by Nixon during his five and a half years as Presi- dent. On August 28, Ford said that he agreed with Nelson Rockefeller and Senate minority leader Hugh Scott, that Nixon had already suffered enough but he added that until any legal process has been undertaken, I think it's wise and untimely for me to make any commit- ment. This was understood to mean that he would abide by the judgement of the Special Prosecutor, Leon Jaworski and the grand jury as to whether or not Nixon should be indicted and tried, and that he would not intervene until the con- clusion of that process. But Ford seemed to be implying that when final judgement had been rendered he would probably grant executive clemency. In the commit- ment, Ford made on that date of Sep- ' d l l bl tember 8, 1974, he did not let the legal x o ; process take its course. he arrested it before it began to move. Upon receiving the pardon. Nixon issued a statement that he now saw that there were some oversights on his part x while he was in office. This statement debases Ford's pardon, it asserts that Nixon did nothing he need be pardoned for, since the crimes he was accused of were, in fact, not crimes but merely the , W e t result of unfortunate neglect by an over- t7 ! gnu g, worked man too busy to keep a check on l l... i ,3: ,t A A t x everything and everybody. J i l Ford not only stopped the judicial process dead in its tracks, but deprived T a a r. be a the nation of an opportunity to learn as o,... gbvj much as possible about the mistakes and misdoings of the last five and a half years. L . t It is conceivable that Ford felt he i w had some higher commitment, political, ., LA L $ t , l A moral or as his statement made implies, religious. Whatever prompted President Ford to this decision to pardon Richard . W l Milhous Nixon, perhaps he felt that the , a , , . new evidence that might be found would harm the country or that the pardon was in the best interest of the American people Through Watergate, Americans have now acquired a new President and a Vice-President, neither have been elected by the people. For the first time in the history of this nation the American people had no choice in their President. 22 a Issues and Events