Facing imminent impeachment for his role in the Watergate Scandal, Richard Nixon resigned the presidency on August 8, 1974. One month later, President Ford issued Proclamation 4311, which granted his former boss a “full, free, and unconditional” pardon for any actions he had taken as president. Ford's pardon meant that Nixon would no longer face legal jeopardy for his role in crimes that landed some of his closest advisors in prison. In this structured academic controversy, students consider whether pardoning Richard Nixon was the right decision.
Image: Photograph of Gerald Ford at the House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on pardoning former President Richard Nixon in 1974. From the Library of Congress.