Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 24, 1974 (1/2)
Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 24, 1974 (1/2)
[00.13.20] LEHRER questions guest commentator Barbara TUCKMAN about her previous point that Congress was facing a trial as well as the statement, noting that most of the committee mentioned that same point in their speeches. TUCKMAN notes that only HUTCHINSON seemed to address partisan issues, everyone else evidently mindful of the impact of the hearings on the role of CONGRESS. LEHRER reintroduces LEWIS, interviewing Rep. WIGGINS (R) LEWIS asks WIGGINS if he expects a delay. WIGGINS says there hasn't been any serious discussion on delaying even among Republicans, and that the only scenario he sees in which it could have been raised was if NIXON stated that evening that he was going to deliver tapes to the committee immediately that day. Says there is no point in waiting if there is no assurance of getting anything for the wait. LEWIS asks about behind-the-scenes maneuvering to try to persuade NIXON to hand tapes over WIGGINS says it's been out in the open, LEWIS notes that MCCLORY indicated that NIXON's failure to provide the HOUSE COMMITTEE with evidentiary materials cound in itself be an impeachable offense. Asks WIGGINS for his opinjon. WIGGINS says that that any statement indicating a definite vote for impeachment is a very strong statement, and that he is not personally convinced that McCLORY will ultimately vote for impeachment. LEWIS notes that he was incorrect in gauging the feelings of Rep. HOGAN WIGGINS says that he does understand the anger at not getting materials, but that NIXON has never truly been in contempt of Congress, but merely asserted a good-faith claim of EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE and that such accusations of contempt are premature and unfair. LEWIS asks if the Supreme Court decision has rendered EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE extinct.] WIGGINS says that the ruling applies to the particular case and only to actions taken after the ruling on this new poing of law. the interview ends. [cut to DUKE and LEHRER] LEHRER notes that Rep. WIGGINS has been an ardent supporter of NIXON, and that his discussion with LEWIS seems to mesh with the President's own words. LEHRER quotes a press statement by NIXON which asserts that the particular Supreme Court ruling should not affect future Executive Privilege claims outside of the particular case. DUKE does comment that the principle of EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE was dealt a serious blow, a unanimous 8-0 supreme court decision is compelling. LEHRER notes in contradiction that the ruling only applies to evidence in criminal cases, giving example of a civil matter without litigation in which the ruling should not affect Executive Privilege. Asks TUCKMAN about her opinion TUCKMAN notes that she hasn't seen the ruling in detail, hut her impression is that the ruling is definitively linked to the exigencies of a criminal case. However, the 8-0 ruling against a President is significant blow to the idea. DUKE says that independent of the legalities of the ruling, the unanimity of the decision will change the attitude of Congress as far as boldness in asserting itself against obstruction by the President. [00.21.18] [back to LEWIS interviewing Rep. George DANIELSON (D)] LEWIS asks about the likelihoood of Republicans successfully delaying the hearings. DANIELSON predicts an effort to delay without success. Says that it's obvious that if the tapes tended to exonerate the President, he would have given them to the committee right away. and that if they tend to impugn the President, there's enough evidence already that the committee doesn't need to wait for more. LEWIS asks about REPUBLICANs voting to impeach the PRESIDENT in the committee DANIELSON says that the Court vote may change the vote in the committee toward delaying to get the tapes. Says that there is a sort of "sense" of how votes will go, and he feels like there will be 26 or 27 votes [0f 38] to impeach. LEWIS asks about a voluntary move by NIXON to give committee tapes, whether such would behoove the committee to wait to hear the new evidence as a matter of good faith. DANIELSON says that enough is enough, no one will be hurt by proceeding directly, and there is nothing to prevent NIXON from making the tapes public on his own. LEWIS asks if there is grounds to impeach NIXON on the bombing of CAMBODIA. DANIELSON. says he's surprised that Rep. SMITH brought it up, noting that some people do favor it, but it was not thought to be widespread enough to support including the bombing as an Article of IMPEACHMENT. [00.24.35]