His testimony provides a detailed, welldocumented, weekbyweek account of the whirlwind of events leading to his resignation and unsnarls the tangle of distorted and wilfully contrived evidence that. The investigation and resignation of vice president spiro t. From spiro agnew to catherine pugh, baltimores federal. Before doing so he would lay track for future politicians with his methods in attacking his political opponents. Spiro agnew and the rise of the republican right traces agnew s life and career and shows how agnew was a key figure in american politicsand documents how a powerful politician who looked to be headed to the presidency ended up having to resign from the office of the vice president in shame and fade into the shadows of political history.
According to spiro agnew in his book go quietly or else, nixons first choice for vp to replace agnew was john connally. Spiro agnew and the rise of the republican right overdrive. Jules witcover writes in his book on the nixonagnew relationship. But the justice department wanted one more thing and that proved a sticking point. How agnew bartered his office to keep from going to prison the. Equally inconsequential, will be the effect of agnew s resignation on the laws governing the conduct of politicians.
Vice president spiro agnew was forced to resign in disgrace when investigators discovered that he had. Three books about spiro agnew, the vice president who resigned in. A name given to the dismissal of one staff member and the resignation of two others in relation to the watergate scandal. Nixons vicepresident resigned and pleaded no contest to charges of tax evasion on payments made to him when he was governor of maryland. Lawrence university history professor jerald podair partnered with two other history scholars on a new book on spiro agnew, detailing how richard nixon. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Agnew has copped a plea and bargained himself out of going to jail. Amram ducovny, who realized his dream of becoming a novelist at age 73, died on aug. List of books and articles about spiro agnew online. The singer also urged him to write a novel and then pushed the idea with publishing friends. Today in history agnew resigns october 10, 1973 the.
Spiro agnew and the origins of donald trumps america, has arrived, set to be published oct. Spiro agnew, elected in 1968 as richard nixons vicepresident, was under investigation for tax evasion, bribery, and. Typically a maligned figure in american political history, former vice president spiro t. The selection of ford as vp after agnews resignation. Wellwritten, believeble, humble and apologetic at times in short, a very human work. I was impressed by the littleknown maryland governor whose choice as nixons running mate inspired knight ridders bob boyd to write, spiro agnew, the name that launched a thousand quips. Three books about the rise and fall of spiro agnew literary kicks. It was the statement disclosing the evidence gathered in the case. What spurred the resignation of nixons vice president, spiro agnew, in 1973. The next night, a few hours after hed resigned, agnew went to little italy for. Spiro theodore agnew was the 39th vice president of the united states from 1969 until his resignation in 1973. Kfmb8 knbc4 oct 10,1973 vice president spiro agnew. Beall talked about his investigation of corruption in baltimore county government that culminated in the resignation of vice president spiro agnew. The same day, he pleaded no contest to a charge of federal income tax evasion in exchange for the dropping of charges of political corruption.
Spiro agnew served richard nixon as the 39th vice president of the united states and, in the style of his employer, agnew would resign his office in shameful criminality. Rachel carsons silent spring, one of the most controversial and influential books of the 1960s. Agnew, several years after his resignation and fall from grace, explains his side of the story. Republicans are balancing health with a political push to reopen. An investigation that revealed he had taken bribes while governor of maryland d. On august 7, 1973, the wall street journal published a startling story. Agnew by cohen, richard m witcover, jules and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Today spiro agnew is best known for his resignation from the vice presidency of the united states as part of a plea bargain deal related to a legal case involving bribes he took as a public official.
Spiro agnew s resignation was appropriate and unsurprising. Trump falls under the shadow of spiro agnew the new yorker. Following is a transcript of former vice president spiro t. Nixon who resigned because of a scandal related to his governorship of maryland. A scandal was brewing in the summer of 1973, involving vice president spiro t. November 9, 1918 september 17, 1996 was the 39th vice president of the united states from 1969 until his resignation in 1973. Letter by nixons vp spiro agnew reveals he was framed and. The freedom of information act has made available to mr. Three tumultuous years later, that book, republican populist. Agnew says, because i am innocent of the allegations against me which compelled me to resign the vicepresidency of the united states in 1973. Agnew challenges the widely held beliefs about his alleged involvement in bribery and extortion while in office. He is the second and most recent vice president to resign the position, the other being john c. Admitted to the bar in 1949, he entered politics as a republican and was elected 1961 chief executive of baltimore co. As richard nixons vice president, spiro theodore agnew served from 20 january 1969 until 10 october 1973, when he resigned over matters unrelated to the watergate scandal.
Beall and his prosecutors brought the case that famously led vice president spiro agnew to resign in 1973. As early as october 6, four days before my resignation. On the agnew side, the lawyers, at that first meeting, outlined the basis for the eventual settlement. Spiro agnew and the origins of donald trumps america university of virgini. Agnew, the son of greek immigrants, grew up in baltimore, maryland, where he began practicing law in 1949. Agnew the heavily censored files of the prosecutors, documenting justice department efforts to fabricate a case.
From 1962 to 1969 he served as a county executive in baltimore before being elected governor in 1967. An investigation that revealed his part in the watergate breakin b. Kfmb8 knbc4 1973 the vice president resigns news all tapes are cleaned and baked before transfer. Unlike calhoun, agnew resigned as a result of a scandal. There agnew was on television, speaking with mawkish selfpity of his nightmarecometrue and at the end saying thank you, good night. Rachel maddow on the lessons of spiro agnew richard nixons first vice president resigned in 1973 amid. War powers act gave the president the authority to regulate many aspects of american life through numerous wartime agencies. Vicepresident spiro agnew and richard nixon former vice president spiro agnew was told by president nixons chief of staff to resign, to go quietlyor else. Agnew 19181996 was a leading spokesman for those nixon called the silent majority of americans. Now, with three decades of perspective, a trove of new material including nixons white house tapes and interviews with close nixonagnew associates, witcover has written a captivating narrative that reveals how the foibles. Spiro agnew died in 1996, still largely a figure of disgrace, his reputation below that even of richard nixons, whose postresignation books were also not very good. Spiro agnew is entitled to the same presumption of innocence until proven guilty as any other american citizen. Spiro agnew and the rise of the republican right traces agnews life and career and shows how agnew was a key figure in american politics. His testimony provides a detailed, welldocumented, weekbyweek account of the whirlwind of events leading to his resignation and unsnarles the tangle of distorted and willfully contrived evidence that has burdened his life for the past six years.
Transcript of former vice president agnews tv and radio address. Jules witcover, a leading political reporter of that period, wrote political biographies of both men and coauthored the acclaimed account of the agnew resignation, a heartbeat away. Vice president spiro agnew gestures at a washington news conference on aug. The united states attorneys office in baltimore, maryland, was investigating allegations that agnew, while baltimore county executive in 1966, had solicited payoffs from contractors doing county business and that as governor of maryland and later as vice president he had accepted kickbacks from engineers.
Spiro theodore agnew facts between the time of his nomination as richard nixons running mate in august 1968 to his resignation in october 1973, vice president spiro t. Two things had been prearranged to happen at 2 pm in two different cities, both without advance notice to the press. It is not the expenditure of public funds, however, that is primarily at issue. The case against the vice president the new york times. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. Agnew would resign and plead no contest to a single tax charge.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The official explanation of why spiro agnew was forced to resign as vice president has always been because of corruption charges while he was governor of maryland, but a letter has emerged in which he claims he was framed by zionists who correctly believed that he wasnt proisrael enough the late us vice president spiro agnew requested money in 1980 from saudi arabia to continue. Both the abundance and the quality of american life are pushing to new highs. United states diplomat who served under president nixon and president ford born in 1923. Nixons resignation as president of the united states, spiro agnew becomes the first u. Attorney general elliott richsrdson, so anxious was he to avoid a long, drawnout trial. While agnes entered a plea of nolo contendere to a single count of tax evasion, the more serious charges of bribery and extortion were swept aside by u.
His refusal to turn over the oval office tapes to the special prosecutor c. Agnew makes one wonder how this country carries on. Far more startling and significant, however, are the revelations concerning the tactics of high officials of the nixon administration to force mr. Although he is largely remembered for his alliterative speeches, attacks on the media and east coast intellectuals, and his resignation from office in 1973 in the wake of tax evasion charges, agnew had a significant impact on the modern republican party that is underappreciated. The resignation of spiro agnew was arranged as a secret confluence of two important events, carefully timed by government and criminal lawyers. His favorite, i had long ago known, was john connally.
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