Before the Watergate Scandal presidents were known to push the boundaries of the office. Nixon crossed the line even further than his predecessors. He was quoted saying, "When the president does it, that means its not illegal." (74) Watergate tested the validity of the American system of checks and balances, revealing whether even the nation's most powerful citizen could be held accountable for his actions. Presidents had been expanding the power of their office for many years, and this path could have very well have led down the tyrannical path. For this reason, our nation's system of checks and balances are very important.
Articles of Impeachment:
RESOLVED, That Richard M. Nixon, President of the United States, is impeached
for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles of
impeachment to be exhibited to the Senate:
ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT EXHIBITED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN THE NAME OF ITSELF AND OF ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AGAINST RICHARD M. NIXON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA, IN MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT OF ITS IMPEACHMENT AGAINST HIM
FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS.
Article 1: Obstruction
of Justice.
In his conduct of
the office of the President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in
violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of
President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve,
protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of
his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has
prevented, obstructed, and impeded the administration of justice, in that: On
June 17, 1972, and prior thereto, agents of the Committee for the Re-Election
of the President committed unlawful entry of the headquarters of the Democratic
National Committee in Washington, District of Columbia, for the purpose of
securing political intelligence. Subsequent thereto, Richard M. Nixon, using
the powers of his high office, engaged personally and through his subordinates
and agents in a course of conduct or plan designed to delay, impede and
obstruct investigations of such unlawful entry; to cover up, conceal and
protect those responsible and to conceal the existence and scope of other
unlawful covert activities. The means used to implement this course of conduct
or plan have included one or more of the following:
(1) Making or causing to be made false or
misleading statements to lawfully authorized investigative officers and
employes of the United States.
(2) Withholding relevant and material evidence
or information from lawfully authorized investigative officers and employes of
the United States.
(3) Approving, condoning, acquiescing in, and
counseling witnesses with respect to the giving of false or misleading
statements to lawfully authorized investigative officers and employes of the
United States and false or misleading testimony in duly instituted judicial and
congressional proceedings.
(4) Interfering or endeavoring to interfere with
the conduct of investigations by the Department of Justice of the United
States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the office of Watergate Special
Prosecution Force and congressional committees.
(5) Approving, condoning, and acquiescing in,
the surreptitious payments of substantial sums of money for the purpose of
obtaining the silence or influencing the testimony of witnesses, potential
witnesses or individuals who participated in such unlawful entry and other
illegal activities.
(6) Endeavoring to misuse the Central
Intelligence Agency, an agency of the United States.
(7) Disseminating information received from
officers of the Department of Justice of the United States to subjects of
investigations conducted by lawfully authorized investigative officers and
employes of the United States for the purpose of aiding and assisting such
subjects in their attempts to avoid criminal liability.
(8) Making false or misleading public statements
for the purpose of deceiving the people of the United States into believing
that a thorough and complete investigation has been conducted with respect to
allegation of misconduct on the part of personnel of the Executive Branch of
the United States and personnel of the Committee for the Re-Election of the
President, and that there was no involvement of such personnel in such
misconduct; or
(9) Endeavoring to cause prospective defendants,
and individuals duly tried and convicted, to expect favored treatment and
consideration in return for their silence or false testimony, or rewarding
individuals for their silence or false testimony.
In all of this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a
manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional
government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the
manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct,
warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.
(Approved by a vote of 27-11 by the House
Judiciary Committee on Saturday, July 27, 1974.)
Article 2: Abuse of Power.
Using the powers of the office of President of
the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional oath
faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the
best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the
United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duty to take care that
the laws be faithfully executed, has repeatedly engaged in conduct violating
the constitutional rights of citizens, imparting the due and proper
administration of justice and the conduct of lawful inquiries, or contravening
the laws governing agencies of the executive branch and the purposes of these
agencies.
This conduct has included one or more of the following:
(1) He has, acting personally and through his
subordinated and agents, endeavored to obtain from the Internal Revenue
Service, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, confidential
information contained in income tax returns for purposes not authorized by law,
and to cause, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, income tax
audits or other income tax investigation to be initiated or conducted in a
discriminatory manner.
(2) He misused the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the Secret Service, and other executive personnel, in violation
or disregard of the constitutional rights of citizens, by directing or
authorizing such agencies or personnel to conduct or continue electronic
surveillance or other investigations for purposes unrelated to national
security, the enforcement of laws, or any other lawful function of his office;
he did direct, authorize, or permit the use of information obtained thereby for
purposes unrelated to national security, the enforcement of laws, or any other
lawful function of his office; and he did direct the concealment of certain
records made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of electronic
surveillance.
(3) He has, acting personally and through his
subordinates and agents, in violation or disregard of the constitutional rights
of citizens, authorized and permitted to be maintained a secret investigative
unit within the office of the President, financed in part with money derived
from campaign contributions to him, which unlawfully utilized the resources of
the Central Intelligence Agency, engaged in covert and unlawful activities, and
attempted to prejudice the constitutional right of an accused to a fair
trial.
(4) He has failed to take care that the laws
were faithfully executed by failing to act when he knew or had reason to know
that his close subordinates endeavored to impede and frustrate lawful inquiries
by duly constituted executive; judicial and legislative entities concerning the
unlawful entry into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee, and
the cover-up thereof, and concerning other unlawful activities including those
relating to the confirmation of Richard Kleindienst as attorney general of the
United States, the electronic surveillance of private citizens, the break-in
into the office of Dr. Lewis Fielding, and the campaign financing practices of
the Committee to Re-elect the President.
(5) In disregard of the rule of law: he
knowingly misused the executive power by interfering with agencies of the
executive branch: including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Criminal
Division and the Office of Watergate Special Prosecution Force of the
Department of Justice, in violation of his duty to take care that the laws by
faithfully executed.
In all of this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a
manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional
government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the
manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct,
warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.
(Approved 28-10 by the House Judiciary Committee
on Monday, July 29, 1974.)
Article 3: Contempt of
Congress.
In his conduct of the office of President of the
United States, Richard M. Nixon, contrary to his oath faithfully to execute the
office of the President of the United States, and to the best of his ability
preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in
violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully
executed, had failed without lawful cause or excuse, to produce papers and
things as directed by duly authorized subpoenas issued by the Committee on the
Judiciary of the House of Representatives, on April 11, 1974, May 15, 1974, May
30, 1974, and June 24, 1974, and willfully disobeyed such subpoenas. The
subpoenaed papers and things were deemed necessary by the Committee in order to
resolve by direct evidence fundamental, factual questions relating to
Presidential direction, knowledge or approval of actions demonstrated by other
evidence to be substantial grounds for impeachment of the President. In
refusing to produce these papers and things, Richard M. Nixon, substituting his
judgement as to what materials were necessary for the inquiry, interposed the
powers of the Presidency against the lawful subpoenas of the House of
Representatives, thereby assuming to himself functions and judgments necessary
to the exercise of the sole power of impeachment vested by Constitution in the
House of Representatives.
In all this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a
manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional
government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the
manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct,
warrants impeachment and trial and removal from office.
(Approved 21-17 by the House Judiciary Committee
on Tuesday, July 30, 1974.)
(75)
RESOLVED, That Richard M. Nixon, President of the United States, is impeached
for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles of
impeachment to be exhibited to the Senate:
ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT EXHIBITED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN THE NAME OF ITSELF AND OF ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AGAINST RICHARD M. NIXON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA, IN MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT OF ITS IMPEACHMENT AGAINST HIM
FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS.
Article 1: Obstruction
of Justice.
In his conduct of
the office of the President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in
violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of
President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve,
protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of
his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has
prevented, obstructed, and impeded the administration of justice, in that: On
June 17, 1972, and prior thereto, agents of the Committee for the Re-Election
of the President committed unlawful entry of the headquarters of the Democratic
National Committee in Washington, District of Columbia, for the purpose of
securing political intelligence. Subsequent thereto, Richard M. Nixon, using
the powers of his high office, engaged personally and through his subordinates
and agents in a course of conduct or plan designed to delay, impede and
obstruct investigations of such unlawful entry; to cover up, conceal and
protect those responsible and to conceal the existence and scope of other
unlawful covert activities. The means used to implement this course of conduct
or plan have included one or more of the following:
(1) Making or causing to be made false or
misleading statements to lawfully authorized investigative officers and
employes of the United States.
(2) Withholding relevant and material evidence
or information from lawfully authorized investigative officers and employes of
the United States.
(3) Approving, condoning, acquiescing in, and
counseling witnesses with respect to the giving of false or misleading
statements to lawfully authorized investigative officers and employes of the
United States and false or misleading testimony in duly instituted judicial and
congressional proceedings.
(4) Interfering or endeavoring to interfere with
the conduct of investigations by the Department of Justice of the United
States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the office of Watergate Special
Prosecution Force and congressional committees.
(5) Approving, condoning, and acquiescing in,
the surreptitious payments of substantial sums of money for the purpose of
obtaining the silence or influencing the testimony of witnesses, potential
witnesses or individuals who participated in such unlawful entry and other
illegal activities.
(6) Endeavoring to misuse the Central
Intelligence Agency, an agency of the United States.
(7) Disseminating information received from
officers of the Department of Justice of the United States to subjects of
investigations conducted by lawfully authorized investigative officers and
employes of the United States for the purpose of aiding and assisting such
subjects in their attempts to avoid criminal liability.
(8) Making false or misleading public statements
for the purpose of deceiving the people of the United States into believing
that a thorough and complete investigation has been conducted with respect to
allegation of misconduct on the part of personnel of the Executive Branch of
the United States and personnel of the Committee for the Re-Election of the
President, and that there was no involvement of such personnel in such
misconduct; or
(9) Endeavoring to cause prospective defendants,
and individuals duly tried and convicted, to expect favored treatment and
consideration in return for their silence or false testimony, or rewarding
individuals for their silence or false testimony.
In all of this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a
manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional
government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the
manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct,
warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.
(Approved by a vote of 27-11 by the House
Judiciary Committee on Saturday, July 27, 1974.)
Article 2: Abuse of Power.
Using the powers of the office of President of
the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional oath
faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the
best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the
United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duty to take care that
the laws be faithfully executed, has repeatedly engaged in conduct violating
the constitutional rights of citizens, imparting the due and proper
administration of justice and the conduct of lawful inquiries, or contravening
the laws governing agencies of the executive branch and the purposes of these
agencies.
This conduct has included one or more of the following:
(1) He has, acting personally and through his
subordinated and agents, endeavored to obtain from the Internal Revenue
Service, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, confidential
information contained in income tax returns for purposes not authorized by law,
and to cause, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, income tax
audits or other income tax investigation to be initiated or conducted in a
discriminatory manner.
(2) He misused the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the Secret Service, and other executive personnel, in violation
or disregard of the constitutional rights of citizens, by directing or
authorizing such agencies or personnel to conduct or continue electronic
surveillance or other investigations for purposes unrelated to national
security, the enforcement of laws, or any other lawful function of his office;
he did direct, authorize, or permit the use of information obtained thereby for
purposes unrelated to national security, the enforcement of laws, or any other
lawful function of his office; and he did direct the concealment of certain
records made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of electronic
surveillance.
(3) He has, acting personally and through his
subordinates and agents, in violation or disregard of the constitutional rights
of citizens, authorized and permitted to be maintained a secret investigative
unit within the office of the President, financed in part with money derived
from campaign contributions to him, which unlawfully utilized the resources of
the Central Intelligence Agency, engaged in covert and unlawful activities, and
attempted to prejudice the constitutional right of an accused to a fair
trial.
(4) He has failed to take care that the laws
were faithfully executed by failing to act when he knew or had reason to know
that his close subordinates endeavored to impede and frustrate lawful inquiries
by duly constituted executive; judicial and legislative entities concerning the
unlawful entry into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee, and
the cover-up thereof, and concerning other unlawful activities including those
relating to the confirmation of Richard Kleindienst as attorney general of the
United States, the electronic surveillance of private citizens, the break-in
into the office of Dr. Lewis Fielding, and the campaign financing practices of
the Committee to Re-elect the President.
(5) In disregard of the rule of law: he
knowingly misused the executive power by interfering with agencies of the
executive branch: including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Criminal
Division and the Office of Watergate Special Prosecution Force of the
Department of Justice, in violation of his duty to take care that the laws by
faithfully executed.
In all of this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a
manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional
government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the
manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct,
warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.
(Approved 28-10 by the House Judiciary Committee
on Monday, July 29, 1974.)
Article 3: Contempt of
Congress.
In his conduct of the office of President of the
United States, Richard M. Nixon, contrary to his oath faithfully to execute the
office of the President of the United States, and to the best of his ability
preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in
violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully
executed, had failed without lawful cause or excuse, to produce papers and
things as directed by duly authorized subpoenas issued by the Committee on the
Judiciary of the House of Representatives, on April 11, 1974, May 15, 1974, May
30, 1974, and June 24, 1974, and willfully disobeyed such subpoenas. The
subpoenaed papers and things were deemed necessary by the Committee in order to
resolve by direct evidence fundamental, factual questions relating to
Presidential direction, knowledge or approval of actions demonstrated by other
evidence to be substantial grounds for impeachment of the President. In
refusing to produce these papers and things, Richard M. Nixon, substituting his
judgement as to what materials were necessary for the inquiry, interposed the
powers of the Presidency against the lawful subpoenas of the House of
Representatives, thereby assuming to himself functions and judgments necessary
to the exercise of the sole power of impeachment vested by Constitution in the
House of Representatives.
In all this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a
manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional
government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the
manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct,
warrants impeachment and trial and removal from office.
(Approved 21-17 by the House Judiciary Committee
on Tuesday, July 30, 1974.)
(75)