Agnew, Spiro Theodore (1918–1996) in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hanover, by Democrats, Apportioned His Seat out New Jersey
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14 Agnew, Spiro Theodore (1918–1996) in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hanover, by Democrats, apportioned his seat out New Jersey. of existence, he ran instead for county executive and was elected in 1962. He References: Addonizio v. United States, 405 U.S. served in this office for four years. In 1966, 936 (1972); Anyon, Jean, Ghetto Schooling: his political star rising, Agnew was nomi- A Political Economy of Urban Educational Reform (New York: Teachers College Press, nated by the Republicans for governor. He 1997), 109; Nash, Jay Robert. Encyclopedia defeated Democrat George P. Mahoney of World Crime: Criminal Justice, Crimi- to become the governor of Maryland. nology, and Law Enforcement, 4 vols. (Wil- Agnew's election as governor marked a mette, IL: CrimeBooks, Inc., 1989), 1:30–31; turn in Maryland politics. Previously the United States v. Addonizio, 442 U.S. 178 cities had dominated the political agenda, (1979). but now the suburban areas, where Agnew had won a majority of his votes $JQHZ6SLUR7KHRGRUH and which controlled both houses of the ± Maryland General Assembly, dominated. Agnew reorganized state government and Governor of Maryland (1967–1969), vice revised the state tax code. He became the president of the United States (1969– first “law and order” official, speaking out 1973), the second vice president to resign against protests by students and others from office and the first because of crimi- against the Vietnam War. Nevertheless, nal charges leveled against him. Agnew he was considered a moderate politically, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on 9 standing for strong laws against pollution November 1918, the son of Theodore and signing the first open-housing law Agnew, a Greek-born restaurateur who south of the Mason-Dixon Line. shortened his name from Anagnostopou- As the 1968 election approached, los, and Margaret (née Akers) Agnew. Agnew threw his support behind New Called “Ted” by his friends, Spiro Agnew York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller attended the schools of Baltimore before for the Republican presidential nomi- he went to Johns Hopkins University and nation. However, when it appeared that studied the law at the University of Balti- former Vice President Richard M. Nixon more Law School, from which he gradu- would receive the party nod, Agnew ated from in 1947. During World War backed the Californian. In a stunning II, he served in the U.S. Army in France, political move, Nixon chose Agnew as and was decorated with the Bronze Star his running mate. Little known outside for heroism. After he graduated from of Maryland, Agnew took to the stump law school, Agnew was admitted to the and campaigned across the nation and Maryland bar and opened a practice in was rewarded for his efforts when Nixon Baltimore. won a close victory over Vice President Agnew entered the political realm Hubert Humphrey. In eight short years, in 1957 when he won a seat on the Bal- Agnew went from the Baltimore County timore County Zoning Board. When the Zoning Board to become the thirty-ninth county council for Baltimore, dominated vice president of the United States. Agnew, Spiro Theodore (1918–1996) 15 (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-116459) 16 Agnew, Spiro Theodore (1918–1996) During his first four years in office, time as governor and continuing even as Agnew earned a reputation as the admin- he sat a heartbeat away from the presi- istration's “hatchet man,” criticizing the dency, was taking kickbacks from milk press (as “nattering nabobs of nega- producers and others in Maryland. U.S. tivism”) and Vietnam War protestors Attorney George Beall headed up the (“hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs investigation and ran the grand jury. of history”). In 1972, when Nixon and In 1999 the FBI files on Agnew were Agnew were renominated for a second released pursuant to a Freedom of Infor- term, Time magazine wrote: mation Act request. One contractor told the grand jury investigating the case, “I For much of Nixon's first term, the just paid off the vice president of the vice president's principal duty seemed United States,” and described how he to be to go after the Administration's had given Agnew $10,000 in cash in the enemies and critics with a spiked White House basement. One person mace. In alliterative swings he who paid Agnew a kickback of $1,500 denounced Democrats, liberals, the cash was allowed to fly on board the vice Eastern Establishment, even dissident president's jet to watch an Apollo moon members of his own party, with an launch. One FBI document reads, “The assiduousness and acidity that would gist of this background was that [missing hardly have been becoming of the information] prior to 1966, when Agnew President. There were liberal Republi- was the County Executive (Mayor) of cans who though it unbecoming even Baltimore, [missing information] began in a vice president, and who saw in making payments to [missing informa- Agnew few qualities that would make tion] of kickbacks from three to five him a suitable President of the U.S., percent of the total of the contracts he should the need arise. They urged received.” Nixon to choose a new running mate Beall traced the corruption to Agnew, for his second term. But the President, and called four men who had worked secure in the polls and mindful of for him before the grand jury, among Agnew's loyal and noisy constituency them Jerome Wolff, a former staffer for on the right, decided not “to break up Agnew who then headed the Maryland a winning combination. Highway Administration, and Lester Matz, head of an engineering firm. Matz The ticket was reelected in a land- told Beall, “You probably don't want to slide, and to many it appeared that in know about this, but I've been paying off 1976 Agnew would be the Republican the vice president of the United States.” nominee for president. Beall was ready to indict Agnew, when Even as he was being reelected, how- The Wall Street Journal broke the story ever, Agnew was under investigation by in August 1973. Agnew called Attorney the FBI and a grand jury in Baltimore. General Elliot Richardson, demand- Allegations had arisen that Agnew, from ing that leaks of such an investigation his time as county executive through his be stopped. Behind the scenes, Agnew Ames, Adelbert (1835–1933) 17 knew he was finished and negotiated a T. Agnew (New York: Viking Press, 1974); deal in which he would resign his office “The Coronation of King Richard,” Time, and plead no contest to falsifying his 28 August 1972, 17; Hill, Janellen, Spiro T. Agnew: Tactics of Self-Defense, August 1 tax returns and not reflecting the bribes. to October 15, 1974 (Master's thesis, Ari- On 10 October 1973, less than two years zona State University, 1974); Lucas, Jim after he was inaugurated for his second Griffing, Agnew: Profile in Conflict (New term as vice president, Agnew resigned. York: Award Books, 1970); Marsh, Robert, That same day, in district court in Bal- Agnew: The Unexamined Man—A Political timore, he pled nolo contendere to Profile (New York: M. Evans, 1971); “Spiro the single charge and admitted that he Agnew: Dishonest Vice President Resigns,” in George C. Kohn, Encyclopedia of Ameri- had been taking bribes for many years. can Scandal: From ABSCAM to the Zenger Agnew was fined $10,000 and sentenced Case (New York: Facts on File, 1989), 3–4; to three years’ probation. Weil, Martin, “Former Vice President Spiro In his final years, Agnew became a T. Agnew Dies at 77,” Washington Post, 18 business consultant. He stayed out of September 1996, Al. the public eye, except for penning his memoirs, Go Quietly … or Else (1980). He entered a hospital in September 1996 $OH[DQGHU/DPDU for heart surgery and died on 17 Septem- ber at the age of seventy-seven. After his See Blanton, Leonard Ray death, it was discovered that he had been suffering from incurable leukemia. His remains were cremated, and the ashes $PHV$GHOEHUW ± were interred in Dulaney Valley Memo- rial Gardens in Timonium, Maryland. United States senator from Mississippi It is a common fallacy that Agnew (1870–1873) and governor of that state was the first vice president to resign or (1868–1870, 1874–1876), impeached to face criminal charges—those “hon- and forced to resign because of race ors” go to Aaron Burr, who was charged riots and corruption of the carpetbag with treason (and acquitted), and to government in the state. Ames was born John C. Calhoun, who resigned on 28 in Rockland, Maine, on 31 October 1835, December 1832 to fill a vacancy in the the son of Jesse Ames, a mill owner and U.S. Senate. Agnew is the first vice presi- former sailor, and Martha (née Tolman) dent to resign because of charges relat- Ames. His granddaughter, Blanche Ames ing to corruption. Ames, wrote in 1964, “His people were New Englanders descended from the References: Agnew, Spiro T., Go Quietly … Or early Pilgrims and Puritans, of English Else (New York: Morrow, 1980); Albright, and Scottish descent. They were venture- Joseph, What Makes Spiro Run: The Life and some people, and many had fought in the Times of Spiro Agnew (New York: Dodd, Mead, 1972); Cohen, Richard M., and Jules Colonial and Revolutionary wars. Some Witcover, A Heartbeat Away: The Investiga- were farmers and teachers and some were tion and Resignation of Vice President Spiro seafaring men like Adelbert's father.” Roberts, Owen Josephus (1875–1955) 473 for an action committed before the mem- Roberts, Owen Josephus ber's election to the Senate.