why did u.s attorney general elliot richardson resighn

by Dr. Crawford Parisian Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago 9 min read

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

Who is Richard Richardson?

4.2/5 (258 Views . 25 Votes) Richardson had promised Congress he would not interfere with the Special Prosecutor, and, rather than disobey the President or break his promise, he resigned. He too had promised not to interfere, and also tendered his resignation. Click to see full answer.

Did Elliot Richardson stand up to Nixon and resign?

Dec 09, 2021 · Why did U.S. Attorney General Elliot Richardson resign? Richardson refused to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox. What caused the Watergate scandal quizlet? – It was caused by an attempt to bug the offices of the Democratic Party in the Watergate buildings in Washington. – A Senate Committee was set up to investigate and many of Nixon ...

What was Richard Richardson like as Secretary of State?

Feb 09, 2017 · He ordered his Attorney General, Elliot Richardson, to do the job; Richardson refused, and Nixon demanded his resignation. Richardson’s deputy also refused, and was fired. (Third-in-line—a man called Bork who’d become relevant in the next decade—did the deed.) And, just to tie up any loose ends now that Cox, Richardson, and Ruckelshaus were all gone, Nixon …

What was the cause of death of Richard Richardson?

Apr 30, 2014 · Why did US Attorney General Elliot Richardson resign? Wiki User. ∙ 2014-04-30 21:14:06. See Answer. Best Answer. Copy. Richardson refused to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox. Wiki User.

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Show activity on this post. On October 20 1973 President Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who was investigating the Watergate scandal. Richardson refused and handed in his resignation. Nixon then ordered Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus to fire Cox, who also refused and resigned. Cox was eventually …

Why did Nixon accept the resignation of US Attorney General Elliot Richardson quizlet?

Why did Nixon accept the resignation of U.S. Attorney General Elliot Richardson? Richardson refused to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox.

Who was fired or forced to resign in the massacre?

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.

Why was Cox fired?

When Cox refused a direct order from the White House to seek no further tapes or presidential materials, Nixon fired him in an incident that became known as the Saturday Night Massacre.

Is Elliot Richardson still alive?

Deceased (1920–1999)Elliot Richardson / Living or Deceased

What did Nixon's plumbers do?

The White House Plumbers, sometimes simply called the Plumbers, were a secret White House group led by G. Gordon Liddy. They were established July 24, 1971, during the presidency of Richard Nixon. Its task was to find out who was giving out classified information, such as the Pentagon Papers, to the news media.

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

Gerald FordIn office December 6, 1973 – August 9, 1974PresidentRichard NixonPreceded bySpiro AgnewSucceeded byNelson Rockefeller55 more rows

What were the reasons that Nixon gave for refusing to turn over the White House tapes?

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 discovered Watergate break?

Frank Wills (February 4, 1948 – September 27, 2000) was a security guard best known for his role in foiling the June 17, 1972, break-in at the Democratic National Committee inside the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. Then 24, Wills called the police after discovering that locks at the complex had been tampered ...

Who was Nixon's AG?

John Newton Mitchell (September 15, 1913 – November 9, 1988) was an American convicted criminal, lawyer, the 67th Attorney General of the United States under President Richard Nixon and chairman of Nixon's 1968 and 1972 presidential campaigns.

Did Elliot Richardson have a stroke?

Death. On New Year's Eve, 1999, Richardson died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Boston at the age of 79.

What was the Watergate scandal about quizlet?

Terms in this set (42) The events and scandal surrounding a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in 1972 and the subsequent cover-up of White House involvement, leading to the eventual resignation of President Nixon under the threat of impeachment.

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

Who was Elliot Richardson?

Awards. Bronze Star. Purple Heart. Elliot Lee Richardson (July 20, 1920 – December 31, 1999) was an American lawyer and public servant who was a member of the cabinet of Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

What degree did Richardson receive?

In 1972, Richardson was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) degree from Whittier College. In 1974 Richardson gave the commencement address at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and received an honorary Doctors of Law. In 1980, Richardson received an honorary degree from Bates College. In 1983, Richardson was admitted as an honorary member of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati. In 1984, he ran for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Paul Tsongas. Although Richardson was favored to win the seat, he was defeated in the GOP primary by more conservative candidate Ray Shamie, who lost the general election to John F. Kerry .

How many Cabinet positions did Richardson hold?

He is one of two persons to hold four separate cabinet positions.

What college did Richardson go to?

In 1980, Richardson received an honorary degree from Bates College. In 1983, Richardson was admitted as an honorary member of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati.

How did Richardson die?

Death. On New Year's Eve, 1999, Richardson died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Boston at the age of 79. Major media outlets, such as CNN, recognized him as the "Watergate martyr" for refusing an order from President Nixon to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox.

Who took the picture of Richardson on the cover of Marauder?

An image of Richardson taken by photographer Garry Winogrand is featured on the cover art of rock band Interpol's 2018 album Marauder. Singer and guitarist Paul Banks referred to him as a hero, who "refused to be bullied into going against his personal principles".

Where was Richardson born?

Richardson was born in Boston, the son of Clara Lee (née Shattuck) and Edward Peirson Richardson, a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School. He was a Boston Brahmin, descended from the earliest Puritan settlers in New England . Richardson attended the Park School in Brookline and Milton Academy in Milton, both in Massachusetts.

It was necessary to maintain the independence of the Special Prosecutor

Fortunately, Attorney General Richardson's resignation letter is easily searchable on Google. In his letter, he explains that he made several commitments and pledges not to interfere with the work of a Special Prosecutor.

It Sounded Better

The attorney general (AG) is an appointed position whose occupant serves at the pleasure of the president (POTUS, for some reason). AGs and similar officeholders will sometimes use a threatened resignation as a way to underline the complete unacceptibility of a proposed course of action.

Overview

Elliot Lee Richardson (July 20, 1920 – December 31, 1999) was an American lawyer and public servant who was a member of the cabinet of Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. 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.

Early life and military service

Richardson was born in Boston, the son of Clara Lee (née Shattuck) and Edward Peirson Richardson, a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School. He was a Boston Brahmin, descended from the earliest Puritan settlers in New England.
Richardson attended the Park School in Brookline and Milton Academy in Milton, both in Massachusetts. He then obtained his A.B. degree in philosophy from Harvard College, where he r…

Cabinet career

Richardson had the distinction of serving in three high-level Executive Branch posts in a single year—the tumultuous year of 1973—as the Watergate Scandalcame to dominate the attention of official Washington, and the American public at large. He is one of two persons to hold four separate cabinet positions. He served three relatively uneventful years as the Secretary of Health, Education, …

Later life

Death

On New Year's Eve, 1999, Richardson died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Boston at the age of 79. Major media outlets, such as CNN, recognized him as the "Watergate martyr" for refusing an order from President Nixon to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox.

Author

Richardson was the author of two books. The Creative Balance: Government, Politics, and the Individual in America's Third Century was published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston in 1976. Reflections of a Radical Moderate was published by Westview Press in 1996. Reflections expresses his outlook:
I am a moderate – a radical moderate. I believe profoundly in the ultimate value of human dignit…

Popular culture

Notes

1. ^ "Richardson, Edward Peirson, 1881–1944. Papers, 1875–1931: A Finding Aid" Archived January 8, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine. Center for the History of Medicine. Harvard Medical Library and Boston Medical Library, August 19, 2004 (Edward Peirson Richardson was a son of the noted surgeon Maurice Howe Richardson and a brother of the noted author Wyman Richardson, M.D.)