cbiu
thursday, October 11,1 973
lincoln, nebraska vol. 97 no. 25
v.
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Agnew resigns vice presidency
Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned Wednesday
and pleaded no contest to a single count of federal
income tax evasion. He was sentenced to pay the
maximum $10,000 fine and placed on probation
without supervision for three years.
Agnew's resignation places House Speaker Carl
Albert (D-Okla) as the potential successor to the vice
presidency until President Richard Nixon appoints a
replacement. Nixon's appointment will have to be
approved by both houses of Congress.
The announcement of Agnew's resignation was
made at 1:05 p.m. CDT by one of his staff
secretaries. A White House spokesman said Nixon was
informed of the decision Tuesday night.
As prescribed by law, Agnew made the resignation
formal in a one sentence letter to Secretary of State
Henry Kissinger. The letter read: "I hearby resign the
office of vice president of the United States effective
immediately."
His resignation and sentencing on the tax evasion
charge was the culmination of a Justice Dept.
investigation on bribery and extortion accusations.
Shortly after the announcement of his resignation,
according to news reports, Agnew appeared before
U.S. District Judge Walter Hoffman in Baltimore. The
reports said the judge told him he considered the no
contest plea the equivalent of admitting guilt.
Atty. Gen. Elliot Richardson recommended to
Hoffman that the vice president not be imprisoned,
news reports said. He said Agnew's resignation and
conviction on the tax charge was sufficient
punishment.
The criminal charge against Agnew said he filed a
joint 1967 income tax return in which he said he had
an income of $26,099 and owed taxes of $6,416. In
fact, his income was $55,599 and he owed taxes of
$19,967.
Richardson said the Justice Dept. had agreed on
the single count plea in addition to Agnew's
resignation.
Agnew, his face drawn and hands trembling,
entered the plea just a few miles from the county
offices where his political career began.
In a statement to the court, Agnew said his
resignation "rests on my firm belief that the public
interest requires swift disposition" of his case.
The vice president had been under investigation
for alleged political graft dating back to his days as
county executive and then governor of Maryland in
the 1960s.
Agnew left the courthouse at 1:40 pm CDT in a
limousine for an undisclosed destination. He told
newsmen the Justice Dept. had not fully prosecuted
witnesses in his case.
In his statement, Agnew said, "I did receive
payments in 1967 which I failed to report for the
purposes of income taxation." He added that he
knew the income should have been reported.
In a letter to Nixon, Agnew wrote, "The
accusations against me cannot be resolved without a
long, divisive and debilitating struggle in the Congress
and in the courts."
"It is in the best interests of the nation that I
relinquish the vice presidency," he added.
Agnew's resignation was the second time in
American history that a vice president has resigned
his office. John Calhoun resigned Dec. 28, 1832, to
become a senator from South Carolina.
Calhoun had been elected vice president in 1824
and again in 1828. He disagreed with President
Andrew Jackson during his second term and ran in a
special election for a vacancy in the Senate from his
home state.
Carroll McKibbin, UNL political science professor,
. said Agnew's resignation is a "much different
situation" than Calhoun's.
Calhoun resigned "because he saw something more
advantageous," McKibbin said.
McKibbin said Nixon and Congress are in a "very
interesting" situation in selecting the next vice
president.
"The president is in a position to be a kingmaker,"
he said, noting the vice presidency has become a
stepping stone to the presidency.
The stronger the person the Democratic-controlled
Congress confirms, the more difficult it would be to
win the 1976 presidential election, McKibbin said.
"The two parties are forced to join hands in the
best interests of the country," McKibbin said. He said
Nixon should pick a "competent" successor to
Agnew rather than a figurehead.
Usually the vice presidential spot is given to attract
votes, McKibbin said.
"Nixon has a very free choice now," he said.
If Congress fails to approve a qualified nominee,
"it would be to their disservice," he said.
Agnew resignation shocks
Nebraska political leaders
Shock, sadness and apprehension about both
American political parties dominated the
reactions of Nebraska state officials and UNL
student leaders contacted by the Daily
IMebraskan following the resignation of Vice
President Spiro T. Agnew.
In a prepared statement, First Congressional
District Representative Charles Thone said,
"The resignation of Vice President Agnew is a
shock. I am deeply worried about how the
attitudes of citizens, particularly young people,
may bo affected by all the recent revelations of
wrongdoing.
"Most of the elected officials I have known,
both democrats and republicans, have
maintained the highest ethical standards."
Glenn Wilson, Nebraska Republican Party
executive director, expressed surprise at the
resignation. He said, "For far too long
everybody has been worried about the
problems of Watergate; if this ends it, it will be
good for the Republican party."
He said Republican politics at the state level
would bo affected most in the recruitment of
now party members. "It reconfirms the
impression that politics is not for them," he
said.
Moss Dyas, Democratic State Committee
chairman agreed, "In the minds of many
citizens it is part of the same, a usual
occurrence in politics.
'It's not the same though, those arc pretty
damn unusual circumstances," he said.
Blaine Osterman, student administrative
assistant to the Young Democrats, said he was
amazed at Agnew's action in light of recent
speeches made by the former vice president.
"Last week it wouldn't have been near as big a
shock," he said.
Osterman said the resignation "leaves a
question in my mind about the extent of the
guilt" since Agnew pleaded no-contest to the
charges.
Student members of the Young Republicans
could not be reached by the Daily Nebraskan
for comment.
Wallace Peterson, UNL economics professor,
said, "We heard Agnew's sanctimonious lectures
on law and order, while in the background
exists his own unsavory behavior in another
office."
Peterson, a 1972 Democratic senatorial
candidate, stressed that he was saddened at the
resignation and the general state of the
American political system.
"I hope that adamant congressional leaders
can get above the partisan jockeying and get the
country out of this thing," he said.
UNL political science Prof. Arthur B. Winter
said the resignation would "take the heat off of
President Nixon," and allow him to restore
confidence in the government.
More Agnew on Page 2
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Former Vice President Spiro Agnew
Senate questions budget; suggests 2 for lawyer post
By Susanne Schafer
ASUN senators and executives tussled over budget
problems until lato into the evening Wednesday night.
Funding the Women's Resource Center library,
black cultural activities and the child care center were
the subject of debate which lasted until press time for
the Daily Nebraskan.
After floating the report of the legal aid committee
on the student lawyer, the Senate heard the
recommendations of the budget committee on
expenditures lor student organizations.
Representatives of Outreach, the hockey club, the
A fro -American Collegiate Society, the Young
Democrats, the rowing team and the child care center
came before the Senate requesting increases in their
individual budget recommendations.
Although the budact had not been nassod bv thn
v , -. .
Senate at press time, a number of changes in the
recommendations were adopted after prolonged
discussion and debate.
At the request of Sen. Rob Christoffersen, the
president of the hockey club, the $100 allotment
granted the club was raised an additional $125.
The Afro-American Collegiate Society was given
an additional $225 for films and a workshop. The
original amount recommended was $450, which
brings their total recommendation to $675.
Expenditures for the child care center, the
Women's Resource Center, and the rowing team still
occupied the senators later than 10 p.m.
One of the most contested issues for a number of
groups was the funding of library books for the
Women's Resource Center and the Afro-American
Collegiate Society. Sen. Brian Waid and Sen. Dave
Thurber strongly contested ASUN supplying monies
for books if the groups did not seek faculty
sponsorship for purchasing the books through the
university library.
If approved by the Board of Regents Friday, Bruce
Hamilton and Douglas German of the Lincoln law
firm Hamilton and German, will take positions as the
UNL student lawyers a week from Monday.
Jed Buechler, chairman of the ASUN legal rights
committee, presented the names as the
recommendations of his committee to the Senate at
Wednesday's meeting.
No office hours have yet been set, but 16 to 22
hours per week will be expected, he said. Oct. 22 is
the target date for setting up the office in ASUN
headquarters.
No formal contract has been signed with Gentian
and Hamilton because the regents are the foimal
contractors, ASUN vice president Maik Hoeger
explained.
