Still other investigations explored vast amounts of government money used to improve Nixon homes in San Clemente, CA and Key Biscayne, FL; the propriety of a sizable Nixon income tax deduction and a $100,000 cash transfer from industrialist Howard Hughes to Nixon intimate Charles G. Rebozo. A subsequent investigation by the Internal Revenue Service in early 1974 determined that Nixon owned $432,787 in taxes for the years 1969-1972. Although the statue of limitations had elapsed for 1969, Nixon announced that he planned to pay the nearly $200,000 he owned that year. On top of all this, on Oct. 10, 1973, in an unrelated investigation, Spiro T. Agnew resigned as vice-president after a Baltimore grand jury received evidence that Agnew had received kickbacks both while he was governor and vice-president. Nixon nominated as Agnew’s successor Gerald R. Ford Jr. of Michigan, Republican leader of the House. It was the Watergate scandal, however, that ultimately destroyed Nixon’s administration and led to his resignation. Jaworski’s continuing work resulted in the indictments on Mar. 1, 1974 of Mitchell, Haldeman, Ehrlichman and White House and CRP staff members for crimes in connection with the Watergate cover-up. It was later revealed that Nixon also had been named as an “unindicted co-conspirator.” Both Jaworski and the House Judiciary Committee issued more subpoenas for tapes. Nixon ignored the subpoenas, but when it became clear that the tapes had already been turned over Sirica would be made public in the Watergate trials, Nixon released edited transcription of recorded conversations. They were later shown to be at variance with transcripts of the same tapes that had been turned over to the Judiciary Committee by Sirica. The Nixon version, however, did not remove suspicion of complicity by Nixon and his aides. Moreover, it also revealed an amorality in presidential conversations that unleashed a wave of public criticism of Nixon’s respect for the law and public welfare.
Jaworski, in an attempt to obtain Nixon’s compliance with a subpoena for 64 additional tapes for the Watergate trials, appealed to the Supreme Court. Nixon’s lawyers contended that the president had a right to certain the tapes on grounds of executive privilege and the preservation of the separation of powers. The Court, however, on July 24, ruled 8-0 that Nixon must surrender the tapes.
Also in July the House Judiciary Committee, in televised hearings, voted to introduce in the House three articles of impeachment. Supported by Republicans as well as the Democrats, they accused Nixon of obstruction of justice, abuse of presidential power and refusal to obey House subpoenas.