President Nixon removed Attorney General Elliot Richardson and his deputy after they refused to fire Archibald Cox,who was investigating White House activities.

Question

​President Nixon removed Attorney General Elliot Richardson and his deputy after they refused to fire Archibald Cox,who was investigating White House activities.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is known as the "Saturday Night Massacre" which occurred on October 20, 1973. President Nixon wanted Cox, who was the special prosecutor for the Watergate scandal, to be fired because Cox was seeking access to White House tapes that Nixon was refusing to release. When both Richardson and his deputy refused to carry out the order to fire Cox, they were both removed from their positions. Eventually, the Solicitor General Robert Bork carried out the order and fired Cox, which led to widespread public outrage and increased support for impeachment proceedings against Nixon.

​President Nixon Removed Attorney General Elliot Richardson and His Deputy

President Nixon Removed Attorney General Elliot Richardson and His Deputy