Stennis Compromise
Encyclopedia
The Stennis Compromise was a legal maneuver attempted by U.S. President
Richard Nixon
on October 19, 1973 during the Watergate scandal
.
The Compromise was offered by Nixon to Archibald Cox
, the special prosecutor who was appointed by the Justice Department to investigate the events surrounding the Watergate break-in of June 17, 1972. It was made in response to a subpoena
requesting, as evidence, copies of taped conversations
which Nixon had made in the Oval Office
. After an initial refusal to comply on the grounds of executive privilege
, Nixon offered to remit the tapes to a respected U.S. Senator
, John C. Stennis
, a Democrat from Mississippi
. Sen. Stennis would listen to the tapes himself, then summarize the tapes for the special prosecutor's office. The explanation was that Stennis would be sensitive to matters of national security contained within, but it is believed that President Nixon did not want the tapes entered into the public record because they contained recordings of Nixon using coarse language and racial epithets, and - preeminently - implicating himself in the "cover-up" surrounding the Watergate break-in. Stennis was famously hard-of-hearing. Cox refused the compromise that evening. Nixon's response was to fire the special prosecutor the next day, in a chain of events later known as the "Saturday Night Massacre
".
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
on October 19, 1973 during the Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
.
The Compromise was offered by Nixon to Archibald Cox
Archibald Cox
Archibald Cox, Jr., was an American lawyer and law professor who served as U.S. Solicitor General under President John F. Kennedy. He became known as the first special prosecutor for the Watergate scandal. During his career, he was a pioneering expert on labor law and also an authority on...
, the special prosecutor who was appointed by the Justice Department to investigate the events surrounding the Watergate break-in of June 17, 1972. It was made in response to a subpoena
Subpoena
A subpoena is a writ by a government agency, most often a court, that has authority to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of subpoena:...
requesting, as evidence, copies of taped conversations
Watergate tapes
The Watergate tapes, a subset of the Nixon tapes, are a collection of recordings of conversations between Richard Nixon and his fellow conspirators plotting a break in to the Watergate Hotel. U.S. President Richard Nixon and various White House staff started communicating on February 1971 and...
which Nixon had made in the Oval Office
Oval Office
The Oval Office, located in the West Wing of the White House, is the official office of the President of the United States.The room features three large south-facing windows behind the president's desk, and a fireplace at the north end...
. After an initial refusal to comply on the grounds of executive privilege
Executive privilege
In the United States government, executive privilege is the power claimed by the President of the United States and other members of the executive branch to resist certain subpoenas and other interventions by the legislative and judicial branches of government...
, Nixon offered to remit the tapes to a respected U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, John C. Stennis
John C. Stennis
John Cornelius Stennis was a U.S. Senator from the state of Mississippi. He was a Democrat who served in the Senate for over 41 years, becoming its most senior member by his retirement.- Early life :...
, a Democrat from Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. Sen. Stennis would listen to the tapes himself, then summarize the tapes for the special prosecutor's office. The explanation was that Stennis would be sensitive to matters of national security contained within, but it is believed that President Nixon did not want the tapes entered into the public record because they contained recordings of Nixon using coarse language and racial epithets, and - preeminently - implicating himself in the "cover-up" surrounding the Watergate break-in. Stennis was famously hard-of-hearing. Cox refused the compromise that evening. Nixon's response was to fire the special prosecutor the next day, in a chain of events later known as the "Saturday Night Massacre
Saturday night massacre
The "Saturday Night Massacre" was the term given by political commentators to U.S. President Richard Nixon's executive dismissal of independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox, and the resignations of Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus on October 20,...
".