Watergate Impeachment: House Committee Votes
The House Judiciary Committee voted 27 to 11 on July 27, 1974, to recommend the first article of impeachment against Richard Nixon, charging him with obstruction of justice. Two more articles followed: abuse of power and contempt of Congress. Six Republicans joined all twenty-one Democrats in the vote, signaling that Nixon had lost bipartisan support. The "smoking gun" tape, released on August 5, revealed that Nixon had personally ordered the CIA to block the FBI's Watergate investigation six days after the break-in. Republican leaders Barry Goldwater, Hugh Scott, and John Rhodes told Nixon he faced certain conviction in the Senate. He resigned on August 9, the only U.S. president to do so.
July 27, 1974
52 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on July 27
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