Posted on 08/22/2013 10:59:14 PM PDT by Lmo56
[snip] Watergate remains the greatest political scandal in modern American history. It culminated not only in President Nixon’s announcement of his resignation, 39 years ago Thursday, but in the conviction and imprisonment of his three most senior aides. Attorney General John Mitchell, White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman, and Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs John Ehrlichman were found guilty of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury in the three-month Watergate cover-up trial, which ended on January 1, 1975.
[snip] I was a young lawyer working on the White House staff and assisting in Nixon’s defense efforts. It is true that we failed spectacularly. Of course, I’m disappointed we weren’t more successful. But whether the defendants were innocent or guilty, I’ve always worried on a more basic level that the heightened emotions of the times denied them the due process of law envisioned by our Constitution.
As a result of some recent discoveries I made while researching a book on the Watergate trials, my concern has been vindicated. It turns out that the notion that “no man is above the law” somehow didn’t apply to judges or prosecutors involved in the cover-up trial. Documents I have uncovered indicate that the efforts to punish the wrongdoings of Watergate led to further wrongdoing by the very officials given the task of bringing the Watergate defendants to justice.
The new documents suggest that defendants in the Watergate cover-up trial, held before Judge John Sirica, received anything but a fair trial. Indeed, they suggest prosecutorial and judicial misconduct so serious –- secret meetings, secret documents, secret collusion -- that their disclosure at the time either would have prevented Sirica from presiding over the trial or would have resulted in the reversal of the convictions and the cases being remanded for new trials.
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
WHEN was the last time you trusted the judicial branch to do the right thing and got smacked dead in the head with a two by four? Let me count the ways.
“Watergate remains the greatest political scandal in modern American history”
course, I woulda thought the murder of vince foster was the biggest
bttt
“Attorney General John Mitchell, White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman, and Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs John Ehrlichman were found guilty of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury”
Isn’t this a weekly, even daily occurrence in the Obama administration, in every democrat administration?
You betcha.
Hillary Clinton was involved in this mess. That tells you just about all you need to know.
One thing I recall from those days was how John Sirica was publicly abusing the defendants as much as he possibly could.
The public via the media were simply tickled with “Maximum John” as they called him. It was as if he truly hated them.
I was and am not a lawyer but it was obvious they would not get a fair trial from him or probably most other Democrat appointed judges and maybe a few Republican ones for that matter. Never forget that Eisenhower appointed Earl Warren.
He also appointed John Sirica.
What difference!....At this point... Does it make...
“course, I woulda thought the murder of vince foster was the biggest”
Then there’s Benghazi, Fand F and the host of others under THIS nitwit that will never be brought to justice.
So, from liberals'/progressives' and media's point of view, all time must have stopped at Watergate, then.
It is patently absurd to be still calling Watergate the greatest political scandal in modern American history.
My sentiments EXACTLY.
During this time, she was vehemently arguing that the defendants they were after should be stripped of their 5th Amendment rights completely. She was so egregious in her pursuit during the inquisition, she was fired.
you beat me to saying it.... :)
I believe that she was fired from her position for misconduct. I do recall reading that she asserted that Nixon had no right to a lawyer.
Mark
Yes, that’s what I’m referring to. He was railroaded. Did he do something wrong? I think it’s clear he did. Did it pale in comparison to the Kennedys, LBJ, FDR, Wilson, Teapot Dome, abolishing Habeus Corpus, Monica, etc., etc.? Of course!!
. . . . In case anyone has forgotten:
The Watergate Cover-Up Trial: Justice Denied?
Hillary Clinton was involved in this mess. That tells you just about all you need to know.
I believe that she was fired from her position for misconduct. I do recall reading that she (Hillary) asserted that Nixon had no right to a lawyer.
Play it with a crawl or a scroll over text that says something like:
"This woman thought the president of the United States didn't deserve a lawyer. Do you really want her in the position of deciding if you are allowed to have a lawyer?
Really?
Really?"
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