Hi,
Many websites I’ve read say President Nixon was not impeached but other websites state that impeachment proceedings were initiated against him. What is the difference? Is Carl Bernstein correct in stating that Nixon was impeached (8 minutes and 4 seconds into the video “for which he was impeached”. )?
I look forward to your feedback.
“SHUT UP! I’LL RESIGN”… Trump TEARS After Mark Hertling & McRaven’s
Letter “Take My Clearance Too”
from Wikipedia
With President Nixon’s resignation, Congress dropped its impeachment proceedings. On August 20, 1974, the House authorized the printing of the Committee report H. Rept. 93-1305, which included the text of the resolution impeaching President Nixon and set forth articles of impeachment against him.[110][111]
It’s fairly straightforward. The printing of copies of the House Resolution laying out the articles of impeachment had been authorized (which makes it part of the impeachment proceedings), but the resolution had not been taken up by the House and voted on (which makes the actual impeachment something that did not take place). After all, if the resolution had failed, we would say that impeachment proceedings had been initiated, but the President had not been impeached.
The difference is the process was started, but not completed.
The House passed H. Res 803 on Feb. 6, 1974 which instructed the Judiciary Committee to investigate whether Nixon should be impeached. The Committee did so, and subpoenaed Nixon’s White House tapes, which were the subject of a rather famous Supreme Court case. After they got the tapes, the Committee approved three of five articles of impeachment at the end of July, 1974, and sent them to the full House for a vote. Nixon resigned on August 9, before the matter could be voted on by the House.
Thank you both. Very helpful in clarifying that for me.
It is virtually certain that the full House would have voted to impeach Nixon in a matter of a few days or weeks, and it is very likely that the Senate would have voted to remove him. But strictly speaking Nixon was not impeached.
In a related situation, Connecticut Governor John Rowland was impeached by the state House (for corruption), but resigned just as the state Senate proceedings were convened (the motion was tabled when his resignation was announced). Strictly speaking, he too was not formally removed from office.
By resigning before the impeachment resolution had been voted on by the House, Nixon retained his pension, and all the benefits provided to ex-Presidents.
You would think that Carl Berstein of all people would know better than to say that Nixon was impeached. Hillary Clinton made the same mistake. It makes you wonder.
Nixon is sometimes labeled as an “unindicted co-conspirator”. That term may be used again soon.