- October 20, 1973
- Prosecutor Archibald Cox subpoenaed tapes
- Nixon refuses
- Nixon orders the firing of Cox
- Nixon argued that executive privilege gave him the right to withhold the tapes.
- Investigators rejected Nixon’s claim of executive privilege and Special Prosecutor Cox and the Senate Watergate committee issued subpoenas demanding the tapes.
- In response, Nixon executed the so-called Saturday night massacre.
- Nixon directed attorney general Elliot Richardson to fire Cox. He refused and quit.
- Nixon then ordered Richardson’s assistant to fire Cox. He refused and resigned.
- Finally, the third-ranking official in the Justice Department fired Cox.
- The president’s actions shocked the public.
The Crisis Continues
- Nixon continued to deny his involvement in the break-in or a cover-up.
- Public confidence in Nixon was very low.
- The White House revealed that an 18-minute portion of the tape had been erased.
- There were calls for impeachment.
- Nixon released some transcripts of the tapes in the spring of 1974.
Nixon Resigns
- The Supreme Court ruled that Nixon must hand over the tapes.
- At the same time, the House Judiciary Committee voted to recommend impeachment.
- On August 8, 1974, Nixon resigned the presidency.
- He must have known that the tapes would reveal clear evidence of his wrongdoings.