Today is the 35th anniversary of the full and absolute pardon of President Richard M. Nixon by his vice president and successor Gerald Ford.
Ford’s pardon came just one month after Nixon resigned from the presidency rather than face impeachment proceedings for his part in the Watergate scandal. The National Archives, in honor of this historic date, have posted this terrific document, which we’ve tried to enhance to make it easier to read.
And here is the text of Ford’s speech to the nation, in which he raises the specter of “ugly passions” being aroused from a messy court battle over Nixon’s alleged crimes in office. The same page offers Nixon’s response to the pardon (in which he says the worst part for him is having to bear the burden of other people thinking he acted selfishly and illegally).