Richard Kleindienst
Encyclopedia
Richard Gordon Kleindienst (August 5, 1923 – February 3, 2000) was an American
lawyer and politician.
Born in Winslow, Arizona
, he served in the United States Army Air Corps
from 1943 to 1946. He attended Harvard College
and Harvard Law School
, graduating from the latter in 1950.
From 1953 to 1954 he served in the Arizona House of Representatives
and then went into private practice, which he continued until 1969. In 1964, he was the Republican candidate for Governor of Arizona, but lost to Sam Goddard, 53%-47%.
He was Deputy Attorney General of the United States
from 1969 until 1972, and was appointed Attorney General of the United States by President
Richard Nixon
on June 12, 1972. Prior to the appointment he had repeatedly told Congress no one interfered with his department's handling of the ITT case. Two years later the Watergate tapes showed both Nixon and presidential aide Ehrlichman had told him to drop the case. All three of the men were attorneys, and the standard ethical response would have been, at the least, for Kleindienst to report Nixon and Ehrlichman's ethical lapses to the state bars in the jurisdictions involved.
The initial arrests of the five Watergate burglars took place in the early hours of Saturday, June 17, 1972. Kleindienst was officially notified of the arrests later that morning. The same day, while at a private golf club in Bethesda, Maryland
, Kleindienst was personally approached by Gordon Liddy, and informed that the break-in had originated within the Committee to Re-elect the President
. Liddy declared further that he, Kleindienst, should now effect the release of the burglars in order to prevent their connection to the CRP from becoming widely known.
Liddy initiated this meeting with Kleindienst after speaking by phone with the CRP's Deputy Director Jeb Magruder, who was in California. Magruder, who had managed the CRP up until March 1972, had the most direct organizational authority over Liddy's activities. He later said the idea of having Kleindienst intervene to free the Watergate burglars, particularly James McCord, came from CRP Chairman John N. Mitchell
. Mitchell, who had been Kleindienst's predecessor as Attorney General, always denied Magruder's accusation until his death in 1988. In any event, Kleindienst did nothing to help secure the release of the arrested burglars. Again placed in a difficult situation by unethical behavior of co-workers as he had been in the ITT phone calls, he hesitated to do what he really might have done. Had he reported or acted on Liddy's confession, it would have broken the whole case open immediately, and probably prevented the President from ever being tempted to cover it up. The related crimes of Ehrlichman, Haldeman, and Dean, the president's closest advisors, would not have occurred. The "damage" would have been contained to the Committee to Reelect the President, and would not have reached the White House.
In any case Kleindienst resigned on April 30, 1973 in the midst of the Watergate scandal
, and returned to private practice. Kleindienst resigned the same day John Dean
was fired and H. R. Haldeman
and John Ehrlichman
quit. He was convicted of a misdemeanor
for perjury
during his testimony in the Senate during his confirmation hearings. He was fined $100 and given a suspended jail sentence by a judge who described him as a person of high ethical nature, and said his crime was that he was too loyal.
Kleindienst was a close confidant of William H. Rehnquist. Kleindienst and Rehnquist were active in the Arizona Republican Party
, and were appointed to serve under John Mitchell as deputy attorneys general in 1969. Rehnquist was nominated to the Supreme Court of the United States
in 1971 and later elevated to Chief Justice in 1986. It was the close association with Kleindienst that led Rehnquist to disqualify himself from the Watergate tapes case (United States v. Nixon
), which directed Nixon to comply with the subpoena issued by Judge John J. Sirica to turn over his tapes. The 8-0 opinion was handed down July 24, 1974 and the White House turned over the tapes to Congress. The scandalous revelations brought disgrace on the Presidency and Nixon resigned 15 days later.
Eight years later, according to the New York Times February 3, 2000 obituary of Kleindienst, he had a second brush with ethical charges. Said to have perjured himself to the Arizona Bar regarding how much he knew about a white-collar criminal he represented, he was cleared.
Kleindienst died of lung cancer
on February 3, 2000, at the age of 76.
For Kleindienst's limited role in Watergate, see Leon Jaworski, The Right and the Power, and Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, All the President's Men. As spelled out above, had he taken more of a role, the Break-in would probably never have led to much of a Cover-up, except by lower level workers and John Mitchell.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer and politician.
Born in Winslow, Arizona
Winslow, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,520 people, 2,754 households, and 1,991 families residing in the city. The population density was 773.1 people per square mile . There were 3,198 housing units at an average density of 259.7 per square mile...
, he served in the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
from 1943 to 1946. He attended Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
and Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, graduating from the latter in 1950.
From 1953 to 1954 he served in the Arizona House of Representatives
Arizona House of Representatives
The Arizona House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its members are elected to two-year terms with a term limit of four consecutive terms...
and then went into private practice, which he continued until 1969. In 1964, he was the Republican candidate for Governor of Arizona, but lost to Sam Goddard, 53%-47%.
He was Deputy Attorney General of the United States
United States Deputy Attorney General
United States Deputy Attorney General is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice. In the United States federal government, the Deputy Attorney General oversees the day-to-day operation of the Department of Justice, and may act as Attorney General during the...
from 1969 until 1972, and was appointed Attorney General of the United States by President
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 June 12, 1972. Prior to the appointment he had repeatedly told Congress no one interfered with his department's handling of the ITT case. Two years later the Watergate tapes showed both Nixon and presidential aide Ehrlichman had told him to drop the case. All three of the men were attorneys, and the standard ethical response would have been, at the least, for Kleindienst to report Nixon and Ehrlichman's ethical lapses to the state bars in the jurisdictions involved.
The initial arrests of the five Watergate burglars took place in the early hours of Saturday, June 17, 1972. Kleindienst was officially notified of the arrests later that morning. The same day, while at a private golf club in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, Kleindienst was personally approached by Gordon Liddy, and informed that the break-in had originated within the Committee to Re-elect the President
Committee to Re-elect the President
The Committee for the Re-Election of the President, abbreviated CRP but often mocked by the acronym CREEP, was a fundraising organization of United States President Richard Nixon's administration...
. Liddy declared further that he, Kleindienst, should now effect the release of the burglars in order to prevent their connection to the CRP from becoming widely known.
Liddy initiated this meeting with Kleindienst after speaking by phone with the CRP's Deputy Director Jeb Magruder, who was in California. Magruder, who had managed the CRP up until March 1972, had the most direct organizational authority over Liddy's activities. He later said the idea of having Kleindienst intervene to free the Watergate burglars, particularly James McCord, came from CRP Chairman John N. Mitchell
John N. Mitchell
John Newton Mitchell was the Attorney General of the United States from 1969 to 1972 under President Richard Nixon...
. Mitchell, who had been Kleindienst's predecessor as Attorney General, always denied Magruder's accusation until his death in 1988. In any event, Kleindienst did nothing to help secure the release of the arrested burglars. Again placed in a difficult situation by unethical behavior of co-workers as he had been in the ITT phone calls, he hesitated to do what he really might have done. Had he reported or acted on Liddy's confession, it would have broken the whole case open immediately, and probably prevented the President from ever being tempted to cover it up. The related crimes of Ehrlichman, Haldeman, and Dean, the president's closest advisors, would not have occurred. The "damage" would have been contained to the Committee to Reelect the President, and would not have reached the White House.
In any case Kleindienst resigned on April 30, 1973 in the midst of 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...
, and returned to private practice. Kleindienst resigned the same day John Dean
John Dean
John Wesley Dean III is an American lawyer who served as White House Counsel to United States President Richard Nixon from July 1970 until April 1973. In this position, he became deeply involved in events leading up to the Watergate burglaries and the subsequent Watergate scandal cover-up...
was fired and H. R. Haldeman
H. R. Haldeman
Harry Robbins "Bob" Haldeman was an American political aide and businessman, best known for his service as White House Chief of Staff to President Richard Nixon and for his role in events leading to the Watergate burglaries and the Watergate scandal – for which he was found guilty of conspiracy...
and John Ehrlichman
John Ehrlichman
John Daniel Ehrlichman was counsel and Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs under President Richard Nixon. He was a key figure in events leading to the Watergate first break-in and the ensuing Watergate scandal, for which he was convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and perjury...
quit. He was convicted of a misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
for perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
during his testimony in the Senate during his confirmation hearings. He was fined $100 and given a suspended jail sentence by a judge who described him as a person of high ethical nature, and said his crime was that he was too loyal.
Kleindienst was a close confidant of William H. Rehnquist. Kleindienst and Rehnquist were active in the Arizona Republican Party
Arizona Republican Party
The Arizona Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in Arizona. Its headquarters is in Phoenix.- Elected officers of the State Committee:- State Executive Committee :- State Committee :* The 15 county Republican chairmen...
, and were appointed to serve under John Mitchell as deputy attorneys general in 1969. Rehnquist was nominated to the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
in 1971 and later elevated to Chief Justice in 1986. It was the close association with Kleindienst that led Rehnquist to disqualify himself from the Watergate tapes case (United States v. Nixon
United States v. Nixon
United States v. Nixon, , was a landmark United States Supreme Court decision. It was a unanimous 8-0 ruling involving President Richard Nixon and was important to the late stages of the Watergate scandal. It is considered a crucial precedent limiting the power of any U.S. president.Chief Justice...
), which directed Nixon to comply with the subpoena issued by Judge John J. Sirica to turn over his tapes. The 8-0 opinion was handed down July 24, 1974 and the White House turned over the tapes to Congress. The scandalous revelations brought disgrace on the Presidency and Nixon resigned 15 days later.
Eight years later, according to the New York Times February 3, 2000 obituary of Kleindienst, he had a second brush with ethical charges. Said to have perjured himself to the Arizona Bar regarding how much he knew about a white-collar criminal he represented, he was cleared.
Kleindienst died of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
on February 3, 2000, at the age of 76.
Further reading
New York Times digital archive, February 3, 2000, "Richard G. Kleindienst, Figure in Watergate Era, Dies at 76."For Kleindienst's limited role in Watergate, see Leon Jaworski, The Right and the Power, and Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, All the President's Men. As spelled out above, had he taken more of a role, the Break-in would probably never have led to much of a Cover-up, except by lower level workers and John Mitchell.