Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned in 1973 after being accused of tax evasion. Section 2 of the 25th Amendment states that the President can nominate a person for the vacancy. That person must then be confirmed by a majority vote of both houses of Congress.
President Richard Nixon sought input on the selection of a nominee from a wide array of advisers. House Minority Leader Gerald Ford sent a letter to Nixon listing his suggestions for a new Vice President.
Nixon, however, ignored Ford’s recommendations and instead chose Ford himself. Congress approved, and Ford took the oath of office two months later.
The following year, in 1974, President Nixon resigned amid the Watergate scandal, and Ford became President. Under the 25th Amendment, Ford then nominated Nelson Rockefeller to be Vice President, and Congress again approved. For the remainder of the term, America’s top two political positions were occupied by men who had not been elected by the American people.
