In the aftermath of the Watergate scandal and President Richard Nixon’s resignation, recently sworn-in President Gerald Ford issued a highly controversial proclamation pardoning Nixon.
Gerald Ford was Vice President under President Richard Nixon and took over the Presidency when Nixon resigned. Nixon was under investigation for criminal activity while in office. With this document, Ford pardoned Nixon of any crimes he might have committed while President.
In the proclamation, President Ford cited the “tranquility to which this nation has been restored by the events of recent weeks”—Nixon’s resignation—“could be irreparably lost by the prospects of bringing to trial a former President of the United States.”
President Gerald Ford’s Pardon of Richard Nixon is a part of America’s 100 Docs, an initiative of the National Archives Foundation in partnership with More Perfect that invites the American public to vote on 100 notable documents from the holdings of the National Archives. Visit 100docs.vote today.
