House Judiciary Committee Approves Three Articles of Impeachment Against President Nixon

On July 27, 1974, the House Judiciary Committee recommended that President Richard M. Nixon be impeached and removed from office, adopting Article I (Obstruction of Justice) by a vote of 27-11 at 7:07pm in Room 2141 of the Rayburn Office Building. The first article charged Nixon with engaging in a course of conduct designed to obstruct justice in the Watergate case, including making false statements to investigators, withholding evidence, approving payment of hush money to witnesses, and interfering with investigations by the FBI, the Department of Justice, and congressional committees. Article II (Abuse of Power) was adopted 28-10, charging Nixon with using the powers of his office to violate the constitutional rights of citizens, including using the IRS to harass political enemies and misusing the FBI and Secret Service.

On July 30, the final day of impeachment debate, Article III was introduced by Robert McClory and approved by a narrow 21-17 margin. This article charged Nixon with contempt of Congress for his defiance of eight Judiciary Committee subpoenas issued during April, May, and June 1974. The committee finished its work exactly two years, one month, and thirteen days after the Watergate break-in. The three articles together painted a comprehensive picture of presidential criminality: systematic obstruction of justice, abuse of executive power against American citizens, and defiance of congressional oversight. The bipartisan support for the articles, with several Republicans joining Democrats, signaled that Nixon’s support had collapsed even within his own party.

However, these articles of impeachment were passed only by the Committee on the Judiciary and were never voted on by the full House of Representatives. When the Supreme Court ordered release of the White House tapes on August 5, 1974, and the “smoking gun” recording became public, even the eleven Republicans who had voted against impeachment announced they would change their votes. Facing certain impeachment by the House and conviction by the Senate, Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974. The impeachment process demonstrated that Congress could hold a president accountable for criminal conduct, but Nixon’s resignation meant the process was never completed. This incomplete accountability was further undermined by Gerald Ford’s pardon one month later, which ensured that Nixon would never face criminal prosecution for the extensive abuses of power documented in the impeachment articles.