Nixon Denies Corruption: I Am Not a Crook
President Nixon faced 400 Associated Press managing editors at Disney's Contemporary Resort in Orlando on November 17, 1973, and declared 'I am not a crook' while defending his personal finances and conduct during the Watergate investigation. The statement was a response to questions about his tax returns and the sale of his San Clemente property, not directly about the Watergate break-in, but it became the defining sound bite of his presidency. Nixon was attempting to counter a tide of revelations: the Saturday Night Massacre had occurred a month earlier, the '18-minute gap' in the Oval Office tapes had been disclosed, and congressional hearings were uncovering a pattern of obstruction. The declaration accomplished the opposite of its intent. Nine months later, facing certain impeachment, Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974.
November 17, 1973
53 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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