who were attorney gen under nixon

by Bradford Lind I 5 min read

John Newton Mitchell (September 15, 1913 – November 9, 1988) was the 67th Attorney General of the United States under President Richard Nixon and chairman of Nixon's 1968 and 1972 presidential campaigns. Prior to that, he had been a municipal bond lawyer and one of Nixon's closest personal friends.

Who was the Attorney General during Nixon's presidency?

Political career. Mitchell is sworn in as Attorney General of the United States, January 22, 1969. Chief Justice Earl Warren administers the oath while President Richard Nixon looks on.

What law firm did Richard Nixon work with?

Except for his period of military service, Mitchell practiced law in New York City from 1938 until 1969 with the firm of Rose, Guthrie, Alexander and Mitchell and earned a reputation as a successful municipal bond lawyer. Richard Nixon was a partner in the firm from 1963 to 1968.

Who was the Attorney General under President Johnson?

Katzenbach served as attorney general (President Johnson) from Jan. 28, 1965 to Sep. 30, 1966. He was born in Philadelphia, PA (Jan. 17, 1922) and attended Princeton University and Yale University. From 1947 to 1949 he was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford.

Who was Richard Nixon’s closest political adviser?

He became acquainted with Richard M. Nixonearly in 1967, when their respective law firms merged. Mitchell quickly became a close political adviser to Nixon, and in 1968 he managed Nixon’s successful campaign for the presidency.

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Who succeeded John Mitchell as Attorney General?

Richard KleindienstPreceded byJohn MitchellSucceeded byElliot Richardson10th United States Deputy Attorney GeneralIn office January 20, 1969 – June 12, 197222 more rows

What role did Martha Mitchell play in Watergate?

She became an embarrassment to Richard M. Nixon because of her comments to the media about the government at the time of the Watergate scandal. Just prior to the complete unravelling of the Watergate cover-up, she accompanied John Mitchell to California on a campaign visit.

Why did the Attorney General Elliot Richardson resign?

Richardson had promised Congress he would not interfere with the Special Prosecutor, and, rather than disobey the President or break his promise, he resigned.

What was John Ehrlichman role in Watergate?

Ehrlichman created "The Plumbers", the group at the center of the Watergate scandal, and appointed his assistant Egil Krogh to oversee its covert operations, focusing on stopping leaks of confidential information after the release of the Pentagon Papers in 1971.

Who were the 5 Watergate burglars?

The police apprehended five men, later identified as Virgilio Gonzalez, Bernard Barker, James McCord, Eugenio Martínez, and Frank Sturgis. They were charged with attempted burglary and attempted interception of telephone and other communications.

Who was Deep Throat during Watergate?

The character never identified himself as "Deep Throat" – the name was used by other characters when referring to him. It was never specifically mentioned whether he was initially intended to be the same Deep Throat from Watergate; eventually, the character was revealed to be a government official named Ronald Pakula.

What did Nixon do to Archibald Cox?

U.S. President Richard Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox; Richardson refused and resigned effective immediately. Nixon then ordered Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus to fire Cox; Ruckelshaus refused, and also resigned.

Who were the 2 journalists of Watergate?

While a young reporter for The Washington Post in 1972, Bernstein was teamed up with Bob Woodward; the two did much of the original news reporting on the Watergate scandal. These scandals led to numerous government investigations and the eventual resignation of President Richard Nixon.

Is Elliot Richardson still alive?

December 31, 1999Elliot Richardson / Date of death

Who was the special prosecutor in Watergate?

Archibald Cox Jr. (May 17, 1912 – May 29, 2004) was an American lawyer and law professor who served as U.S. Solicitor General under President John F. Kennedy and as a special prosecutor during the Watergate scandal.

Who was Nixon's right hand man?

Charles ColsonChuck ColsonPresidentRichard NixonPreceded byJohn EhrlichmanSucceeded byJohn DeanPersonal details17 more rows

Who were Nixon's advisors?

Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman and adviser John Ehrlichman emerged as his two most influential staffers regarding domestic affairs, and much of Nixon's interaction with other staff members was conducted through Haldeman. Early in Nixon's tenure, conservative economist Arthur F.

How many terms did Saxbe serve?

Saxbe was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1946 and and served as speaker of the house in 1953 and 1954. He served three terms as Ohio AG. He was US Senator when Nixon appointed him AG. John Glenn (D) was replaced Saxbe in the Senate.

When did Kleindienst resign?

He was in private practice before becoming Deputy AG in 1969. He resigned in the midst of the Watergate scandal, the same day (April 30, 1973) that John Dean was fired and H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman quit.

What is the job of the Attorney General?

The US Attorney General (AG) is the head of the US Department of Justice and is the chief law enforcement officer of the US government. These are the Attorney Generals from 1960 to 1980.

Who was the attorney general of Arizona during the Nixon administration?

Kleindienst served as attorney general (President Nixon) from Feb. 15, 1972 to May 25, 1973. He was born in Winslow, AZ (Aug. 5, 1923) and attended Harvard University. He served in the Army from 1943 to 1946. Kleindienst served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 1953 to 1954. He was in private practice before becoming Deputy AG in 1969. He resigned in the midst of the Watergate scandal, the same day (April 30, 1973) that John Dean was fired and H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman quit. He was convicted of a misdemeanor for perjury during his testimony in the Senate during his confirmation hearings. Died Feb. 3, 2000.

Who was the attorney general of Georgia?

Bell served as attorney general (President Carter) from Jan. 26, 1977 to Aug. 16, 1979. He was born in Americus, GA (Oct. 31, 1918) and attended Georgia Southwestern College and Mercer Univerity Law School. He was a major in the US Army in WWII. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed Bell to the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Bell led the effort to pass the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in 1978. He served on President George H.W. Bush's Commission on Federal Ethics Law Reform and was counsel to President Bush during the Iran-Contra affair.

Who was the attorney general of the United States during WWII?

Levi served as attorney general (President Bush) from Jan. 14, 1975 to Jan. 20, 1977. He was born in Chicago, IL (May 9, 1942) and attended the University of Chicago and Yale University. During WWII, he served in the DOJ Anti-Trust Division. Before being named AG, he was served in various leadership roles at the the Univeristy of Chicago, being named president in 1968. He was also a member of the White House Task Force on Education, 1966 to 1967. Died March 7, 2000.

Who was Richardson in the military?

Richardson served as attorney general (President Nixon) from May 25, 1973 to Oct. 20, 1973. He was born in Boston, MA (July 20, 1920) and attended Harvard University. He served in the Army from 1942 to 1945. He was Assistant Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare for Legislation 1957 to 1959.

When did Mitchell take office?

Appointed attorney general, Mitchell took office in January 1969 and remained there until March 1972, when he resigned to head Nixon’s reelection committee.

Who was John Mitchell?

John Mitchell, in full John Newton Mitchell, (born Sept. 15, 1913, Detroit, Mich., U.S.—died Nov. 9, 1988, Washington, D.C.), U.S. attorney general during the Nixon administration who served 19 months in prison (1977–79) for his participation in the Watergate Scandal.

What was Mitchell's career?

It was for his expertise in state and municipal bonds that Mitchell achieved fame while an attorney with a prominent New York law firm. He became acquainted with Richard M. Nixon early in 1967, when their respective law firms merged.

Why did Nixon cover up the scandal?

The cover up was done to protect President Nixon’s involvement.

How many government officials were charged with Watergate?

A total of 69 government officials were charged for their participation in the Watergate scandal. As for his part, John Mitchell knew about the wire taps and other activities; he was there from the start and later he and John Dean helped Nixon mastermind the plan to break into the DNC headquarters. The overarching interest in the Democratic Headquarters was not to steal money, but to spy on opponents. Dean, Mitchell, and others were after information. They agreed to the bugging of offices, photographing of documents.

What did Martha Mitchell bring to the Nixon administration?

Martha Mitchell brought to [the Nixon Administration] a welcome touch of zaniness and genuine good humor. Seizing on a rare good thing, the press tended to exploit her. What originally had been innocent japes became media events. During the Watergate furor, her abortive TV career proved to be another and finally pitiable example of the capacity of the media to exploit and consume the vulnerable.

What did Nixon say about Martha Mitchell?

Nixon was later to tell interviewer David Frost in 1977 that Martha was a distraction to John Mitchell, such that no one was minding the store, and "If it hadn't been for Martha Mitchell, there'd have been no Watergate.".

What was John Mitchell's job?

Although their status as friends is debated, when Nixon was elected president in 1968, he appointed John Mitchell as his Attorney General. The position necessitated that the family move to Washington DC, and their home in the "fashionable" Watergate complex, at the time, was estimated to be worth US$140,000. Mitchell first came to national attention after she remarked to a television reporter that Washington DC peace demonstrations held in November 1969 reminded her husband of a Russian revolution. The statement, widely viewed as indiscreet, increased her notoriety and coverage in the media. She had the custom of having an evening drink, and then calling reporters with political gossip or information she had gleaned while rifling through her husband's papers or eavesdropping on his conversations. During this time, Mitchell's renown as an outspoken socialite grew, and she made regular appearances on talk shows and variety shows, such as Laugh-In. By the following year, in November 1970, a Gallup poll indicated that 76 percent of Americans recognized who she was, and she made the cover of Time in an issue about the most influential women of Washington. Her reputation for frank and uncensored talk, generally in support of Republican issues, led to her being nicknamed "Martha the Mouth" or "The Mouth of the South".

Who published Martha Beall Mitchell's book?

Three years after her death, Washington newswoman and Mitchell-collaborator Winzola McLendon released a book called Martha. The birthplace and childhood home of Martha Beall Mitchell, now the Martha Beall Mitchell Home and Museum, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in January 1978.

Who was the security director of the CRP?

Despite these efforts, the following Monday, Martha acquired a copy of the Los Angeles Times. Martha learned that James W. McCord Jr., the security director of the CRP and her daughter's bodyguard and driver, was among those arrested.

Who did Mitchell call on June 22?

The following Thursday, on June 22, Mitchell made a late-night phone call to Helen Thomas of the United Press, reportedly Mitchell's favorite reporter. Mitchell informed Thomas of her intention to leave her husband until he resigned from the CRP. The phone call, however, abruptly ended.

Who was the head of the Committee to Re-Elect the President in 1972?

Nixon selected John to head the Committee to Re-Elect the President (commonly abbreviated to CRP, or deridingly, CREEP) for the 1972 campaign. During the campaign, however, Mitchell had begun to complain to her media contacts that the campaign had engaged in "dirty tricks" to win the election.

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Overview

John Newton Mitchell (September 15, 1913 – November 9, 1988) was the 67th Attorney General of the United States under President Richard Nixon and chairman of Nixon's 1968 and 1972 presidential campaigns. Prior to that, he had been a municipal bond lawyer and one of Nixon's closest personal friends. He was tried and convicted as a result of his involvement in the Watergate scandal.

Early life

Mitchell was born in Detroit to Margaret (McMahon) and Joseph C. Mitchell. He grew up in the New York City borough of Queens. He earned his law degree from Fordham University School of Law and was admitted to the New York bar in 1938. He served for three years as a naval officer (Lieutenant, Junior Grade) during World War II where he was a PT boat commander.
Except for his period of military service, Mitchell practiced law in New York City from 1938 until 1…

New York government

Mitchell devised a type of revenue bond called a "moral obligation bond" while serving as bond counsel to New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller in the 1960s. In an effort to get around the voter approval process for increasing state and municipal borrower limits, Mitchell attached language to the offerings that was able to communicate the state's intent to meet the bond payments while not placing it under a legal obligation to do so. Mitchell did not dispute when asked in an intervie…

Political career

In 1967, the firm of Caldwell, Trimble & Mitchell, where Mitchell was lead partner, merged with Richard Nixon's firm, Nixon, Mudge, Rose, Guthrie, & Alexander. Nixon was then officially in "political retirement" but was quietly organizing a return to politics in the 1968 Presidential Election. Mitchell, with his many contacts in local government, became an important strategic confidant t…

Committee to Re-elect the President scandal

John Mitchell's name was mentioned in a deposition concerning Robert L. Vesco, an international financier who was a fugitive from a federal indictment. Mitchell and Nixon Finance Committee Chairman Maurice H. Stans were indicted in May 1973 on federal charges of obstructing an investigation of Vesco after he made a $200,000 contribution to the Nixon campaign. In April 1974, both men were a…

Watergate scandal

In the days immediately after the Watergate break-in of June 17, 1972, Mitchell enlisted former FBI agent Steve King to prevent his wife Martha from learning about the break-in or contacting reporters. While she was on a phone call with journalist Helen Thomas about the break-in, King pulled the phone cord from the wall. Mrs. Mitchell was held against her will in a California hotel room and forci…

Death

Around 5:00 pm on November 9, 1988, Mitchell collapsed from a heart attack on the sidewalk in front of 2812 N Street NW in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C., and died that evening at George Washington University Hospital. He was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. He was eligible for the honor because of his World War II Naval service and having held the cabinet post of Attorney General.

In popular culture

• John Randolph had an uncredited role in the 1976 film All the President's Men as the voice of John Mitchell.
• Randolph portrayed Mitchell again, this time in a credited role, in Blind Ambition.
• Mitchell's archival footages are shown in Slow Burn.