A year before the Nixon White House came to a grinding halt, another scandal was brewing in Washington. Vice-President Spiro Agnew on widely publicized reports he accepted kickbacks during his time as Governor of Maryland. In an attempt to get ahead of the story, Agnew went before the press on this August 8, 1973.
Vice President Agnew denounced as “damned lies” that he had received kickbacks from Maryland Contractors.
Saying “I have no intention of being skewed”. The Vice President condemned newspapers stories relating to Baltimore federal Grand Jury proceedings as “false and scurrilous and malicious.” He said he was not seeking to impede the investigation and had nothing to hide. Later Jay H. Topkis, one of his attorneys, said Mr. Agnew will not turn over, for now, financial records requested by George Beall, United States attorney, who had asked for them by 2 P.M. today.
Mr. Agnew told a press conference those records would be furnished “at the appropriate time, in the appropriate way, to the appropriate parties” after advice of counsel.
Mr. Topkis, in a telephone interview. said: “We will not be producing any documents tomorrow.” He said he had told Mr. Beall of that decision Tuesday and would be speaking to him about the matter again next week. Mr.Topkis said no Fifth Amendment issue arose in the refusal, indicating that executive privilege was involved. That request for financial records was contained in a letter sent Tuesday by Mr. Beall, in which he said Mr. Agnew and others were under investigation “concerning possible violations” of federal laws against conspiracy, extortion and bribery as well as unspecified criminal violations of the tax laws. Mr. Agnew made that letter public after the press conference. The former Maryland governor and Baltimore county executive appeared confident during the press conference, treating his own situation with occasional wry humor and steadfastly denying any wrongdoing.
Here is that Press conference in its entirety as broadcast on August 8, 1973.
