May 9, 1974: House Introduces Impeachment Resolution Against President Nixon

May 9, 1974: House Introduces Impeachment Resolution Against President Nixon

On May 9, 1974, the U.S. House of Representatives took a historic step by introducing a resolution to impeach President Richard Nixon. This action marked a critical juncture in the Watergate scandal, which had been unfolding for nearly two years.

The resolution, introduced by Representative Peter Rodino (D-NJ), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, set in motion a series of events that would ultimately lead to Nixon's resignation on August 9, 1974. The impeachment inquiry focused on allegations of obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress.

Supreme Court's Role in the Watergate Scandal

Less than three months after the impeachment resolution was introduced, the Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in U.S. v. Nixon on July 24, 1974. The unanimous ruling, authored by Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, rejected Nixon's claim of absolute executive privilege and ordered him to release the 64 secretly recorded White House tapes.

The tapes, which included the infamous 18½-minute gap, provided critical evidence linking Nixon to the Watergate cover-up. The release of the tapes and the Supreme Court's ruling significantly weakened Nixon's position, accelerating the impeachment process.

Aftermath and Nixon's Resignation

Following the Supreme Court's decision, the House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment against Nixon on July 27–30, 1974. The articles charged Nixon with obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress. Facing near-certain impeachment and removal from office by the full House and Senate, Nixon announced his resignation on August 8, 1974.

Nixon became the first U.S. president to resign from office, and Vice President Gerald Ford was sworn in as his successor on August 9, 1974. Ford later controversially pardoned Nixon on September 8, 1974