Word: haig
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Ford did admit that the question of pardoning Nixon had come up while he was still Vice President. On Aug. 1 Alexander Haig, then White House chief of staff, mentioned it to Ford as one of a number of options being considered in the White House. But Ford insisted to the subcommittee that he had not replied yea or nay to Haig's comments...
...committed himself to consider them. The very next day, he said, he told Haig that he was making no recommendation whatsoever about anything having to do with a possible Nixon resignation or a pardon...
Ford also admitted that he had misled the public during that period-although he managed to paint the prevarication white. The President recounted how he had learned from Haig on Aug. 1 about the presidential tape of June 23, 1972 that, under the Supreme Court's decision, was soon to go to Federal Judge John Sirica for use in the conspiracy trial of Nixon's former aides...
...there been any further reasons for deciding so abruptly to give Nixon his pardon? What precisely was the role of Haig in the whole affair? One former top White House aide has said that he believes Ford gave the pardon so early because he did not want the case dragging through the courts when he ran for election...
...sure just what we'll decide to do, but we've still got a lot to do. We'll decide after the recess." When Congress reconvenes following the elections, Hungate's subcommittee could vote to hold more hearings. A probable star witness: Alexander Haig. For Jerry Ford and the G.O.P., the problems of the pardon are far from over...