why did nixon fire us attorney

Who was Richard Nixon’s Attorney General?

On October 20, 1973, Nixon ordered Attorney General Richardson to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox (who was investigating the Watergate scandal). Richardson refused and resigned, as did Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus when confronted with the same order.

What did John Mitchell do in the Nixon case?

Apr 30, 2014 · Which event did Nixon order Attorney General Richardson to fire the special prosecutor investigating the Watergate break-in? It was the Saturday Night Massacre. Nixon had Archibald Cox fired.

Who refused to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox?

Why did Nixon fire US Attorney General Elliot Richardson? In October 1973, after Richardson had served 5 months as Attorney General , President Nixon ordered him to fire the top lawyer investigating the Watergate scandal, Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox.

How did Nixon’s espionage team plug leaks?

Dec 16, 2010 · Why did Nixon fire US Attorney General Elliot Richardson? Richardson refused to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox. When was Tricia Nixon Cox born? Tricia Nixon Cox was born on 1946-02-21.

Why was Elliot Richardson fired?

As U.S. Attorney General, he was a prominent figure in the Watergate Scandal, and resigned rather than obey President Nixon's order to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox.

Is Elliot Richardson still alive?

December 31, 1999Elliot Richardson / Date of death

What did Nixon refuse to do with the tapes from his office?

President Nixon initially refused to release the tapes, putting two reasons forward: first, that the Constitutional principle of executive privilege extends to the tapes and citing the separation of powers and checks and balances within the Constitution, and second, claiming they were vital to national security.

Who succeeded John Mitchell as attorney general?

Richard KleindienstPreceded byJohn MitchellSucceeded byElliot Richardson10th United States Deputy Attorney GeneralIn office January 20, 1969 – June 12, 197221 more rows

How old is Nixon?

81 years (1913–1994)Richard Nixon / Age at death

Who was Nixon's solicitor general?

John N. MitchellIn office January 21, 1969 – March 1, 1972PresidentRichard NixonPreceded byRamsey ClarkSucceeded byRichard Kleindienst18 more rows

Who revealed the Watergate tapes?

The tapes were turned off in July 1973 when presidential assistant Alexander Butterfield publicly revealed their existence before Congress. Nine hundred and fifty tapes, comprising 3,700 hours of listening time, were recorded during the period February 1971–July 1973, the most of any presidency.

Who became president of the United States after Nixon's resignation?

Gerald Ford's tenure as the 38th president of the United States began on August 9, 1974, upon the resignation of Richard Nixon from office, and ended on January 20, 1977, a period of 895 days.

What did they steal in Watergate?

Frank Wills, a security guard, discovered clues that former FBI and CIA agents broke into the offices of the Democratic Party and George McGovern months before the election. These people listened to phone lines, and secret papers were stolen.

What happened to Martha Mitchell?

On May 31, 1976, in the advanced stages of multiple myeloma, Mitchell slipped into a coma and died at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City at age 57. Her son, her estranged husband, and daughter arrived at her funeral in Pine Bluff shortly after it began.

Who was the attorney general in the 60s?

Ramsey ClarkClark in 196866th United States Attorney GeneralIn office November 28, 1966 – January 20, 1969 Acting: November 28, 1966 – March 10, 1967PresidentLyndon B. Johnson28 more rows

What was established in February of 1973 what was its purpose?

On February 5, 1973, Senator Edward Kennedy offered Senate Resolution 60 to establish a Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities to investigate campaign activities related to the presidential election of 1972. Traditionally the sponsoring member presides over an inquiry.

Who was Richard Nixon's attorney general?

Nixon. John Newton Mitchell (September 5, 1913 – November 9, 1988) was an American lawyer, the 67th Attorney General of the United States under President Richard Nixon, chairman of Nixon's 1968 and 1972 presidential campaigns, and a convicted criminal. Prior to that, he had been a municipal bond lawyer and one of Nixon's closest personal friends.

Who was the Attorney General of the United States during Nixon's presidency?

John Newton Mitchell (September 5, 1913 – November 9, 1988) was an American lawyer, the 67th Attorney General of the United States under President Richard Nixon, chairman of Nixon's 1968 and 1972 presidential campaigns, and a convicted criminal. Prior to that, he had been a municipal bond lawyer and one of Nixon's closest personal friends.

Why was Mitchell in prison?

Due to multiple crimes he committed in the Watergate affair, Mitchell was sentenced to prison in 1977 and served 19 months. As Attorney General, he was noted for personifying the "law-and-order" positions of the Nixon Administration, amid several high-profile anti-war demonstrations.

What did Mitchell believe?

He advocated the use of wiretaps in national security cases without obtaining a court order ( United States v. U.S. District Court) and the right of police to employ the preventive detention of criminal suspects. He brought conspiracy charges against critics of the Vietnam War, likening them to brown shirts of the Nazi era in Germany.

How long was Mitchell in jail?

The sentence was later reduced to one to four years by United States district court Judge John J. Sirica. Mitchell served only 19 months of his sentence at Federal Prison Camp, Montgomery (in Maxwell Air Force Base) in Montgomery, Alabama, a minimum-security prison, before being released on parole for medical reasons.

What did Nixon order Mitchell to do?

Near the beginning of his administration, Nixon had ordered Mitchell to go slow on desegregation of schools in the South as part of Nixon's " Southern Strategy ," which focused on gaining support from Southern voters. After being instructed by the federal courts that segregation was unconstitutional and that the executive branch was required to enforce the rulings of the courts, Mitchell began to comply, threatening to withhold federal funds from those school systems that were still segregated and threatening legal action against them.

Who was Nixon's campaign manager?

Nixon campaign manager. In 1968, with considerable trepidation, John Mitchell agreed to become Nixon's presidential campaign manager. During his successful 1968 campaign, Nixon turned over the details of the day-to-day operations to Mitchell.