Laughing at Spiro T. Agnew Commercial: Hubert Humphrey 1968 Presidential...

Spiro Theodore Agnew (Greek: Σπύρος Θεόδωρος Άγκνιου, Spiros Theódoros Agkniou) (pronounced /ˈspɪroʊ ˈæɡnuː/; November 9, 1918 — September 17, 1996) was the 39th Vice President of the United States (1969-1973), serving under President Richard Nixon, and the 55th Governor of Maryland (1967-1969). He was also the first Greek American to hold these offices. During his fifth year as Vice President, in the late summer of 1973, Agnew was under investigation by the United States Attorney’s office in Baltimore, Maryland, on charges of extortion, tax fraud, bribery and conspiracy. In October, he was formally charged with having accepted bribes totaling more than $100,000, while holding office as Baltimore County Executive, Governor of Maryland, and Vice President of the United States. On October 10, 1973, Agnew was allowed to plead no contest to a single charge that he had failed to report $29,500 of income received in 1967, with the condition that he resign the office of Vice President. Agnew is the only Vice President in United States history to resign because of criminal charges. Ten years after leaving office, in January 1983, Agnew paid the state of Maryland nearly $270,000 as a result of a civil suit that stemmed from the bribery allegations. Agnew's moderate image, immigrant background, and success in a traditionally Democratic state made him an attractive running mate for the 1968 Republican presidential nominee, former Vice President Richard Nixon. In line with what would later be called Nixon's "Southern Strategy", Agnew was selected as a candidate because he was sufficiently from the South to attract Southern moderate voters, yet was not identified with the Deep South, which might have turned off Northern centrists come election time. As late as early 1968, Agnew was a strong supporter of Nelson Rockefeller, one...

Channel: PopModal Video Length: 20s Date Found: Sun, Jul 10 2011 5:48 PM Category: Entertainment Date Produced: View Count: 0