Impeachment process against Richard Nixon

The impeachment process against Richard Nixon began in the United States House of Representatives on October 30, 1973, following the "Saturday Night Massacre" episode of the Watergate scandal.

First day of the House Judiciary Committee's formal impeachment hearings against President Nixon, May 9, 1974
Date	October 30, 1973 (1973-10-30) – August 20, 1974 (1974-08-20)
Venue	Rayburn House Office Building (staff headquartered at House Annex-1)
Cause	Watergate scandal
Target	Richard Nixon, 37th president of the United States
Organized by	United States House Committee on the Judiciary
Participants	38 members of the Judiciary Committee, Peter Rodino, chairman; also, Lead counsel John Doar, Attorney James D. St. Clair, among others
Outcome	Resolution containing three articles of impeachment adopted July 30, 1974; resolution became moot August 9, 1974 when President Nixon resigned from office
Charges	Adopted: obstruction of justice, abuse of power, contempt of Congress Rejected: usurping congressional war powers, tax fraud

The House Committee on the Judiciary set up an impeachment inquiry staff and began investigations into possible impeachable offenses by Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States.

The process began on February 6, 1974, when the House granted the Judiciary Committee authority to investigate whether sufficient grounds existed to impeach President Nixon of high crimes and misdemeanors under Article II, Section 4, of the United States Constitution.

This investigation happened one year after the United States Senate created the Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities to investigate the 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate hotel in Washington, D.C..

On August 9, 1974, before the full House could vote on the articles of impeachment, Nixon resigned thus ending the impeachment process.

Impeachment Process Against Richard Nixon Media

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  Demonstrators in Washington, D.C., demanding that Congress impeach President Nixon, following the "Saturday Night Massacre"

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  Secretary of State Kissinger, President Nixon, vice-presidential nominee Ford, and White House Chief of Staff Haig in the Oval Office, October 1973

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  Judiciary Committee Chairman Rodino (center-left) and Special Counsel Doar speaking with reporters, January 24, 1974

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  President Nixon just prior to announcing his intention to release edited transcripts of the subpoenaed White House tapes, April 29, 1974

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  Peter Rodino, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee

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  Members and staff of the House Judiciary Committee in 1974

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  The Judiciary Committee's impeachment hearings received intense press attention. Portions were broadcast live on television.

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  Representative Barbara Jordan (left) became nationally known for her eloquence during the Judiciary Committee's impeachment hearings.

• Nixon Oval Office meeting with H.R. Haldeman (the "smoking gun" conversation), June 23, 1972

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  Senators Scott and Goldwater and Representative Rhodes hold an informal press conference following their August 7 meeting with the president

• Nixon announces that he will resign