June 17, 1972: John Ehrlichman orders the FBI investigation of Watergate to be shut down

[steve2470]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/24/how-fbi-bosses-us-presidents

An FBI supervisor named Daniel Bledsoe was running the major crimes desk at the FBI on the morning of Sunday, 17 June 1972, when he picked up the overnight report of the break-in. He recognised Liddy's name; he had met him at the FBI a decade before. When he heard that the burglars had been caught with eavesdropping equipment, he immediately opened a case under the federal wiretapping statutes. At about four in the afternoon, his secretary answered the phone and told him the White House was calling.

snip

"That's right. I have a mandate from the President of the United States," Ehrlichman said. "The FBI is to terminate the investigation of the break-in." Bledsoe was silent.

"Did you hear what I said?" Ehrlichman thundered. "Are you going to terminate the investigation?"

"No," Bledsoe said."

The rest is history. With FBI Director Wray and his FBI agents also telling Trump NO, we can hope for similar results. I had never heard this story until today.

[NBachers]

1. As much a villain as Ehrlichman was, he wrote a great 1986 book called "The China Card."

[Tanuki]

2. And Erlichman ended up going to prison. Let's hope for similar results in that regard as well!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/onpolitics/watergate/johnehrlichan.html

...."Ehrlichman resigned from his White House post in 1973; he was convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice and perjury in the Watergate case and of conspiracy in the Ellsberg case.

Ehrlichman served 18 months in prison after unsuccessfully trying to negotiate a sentence under which he would provide legal service to Native Americans. After his release, Ehrlichman lived in New Mexico and wrote novels and a memoir...."

[C Moon]

3. "Do you know that you are saying 'no' to the President of the United States?"

"Yes," the FBI agent replied.
"Bledsoe, your career is doomed," Ehrlichman said, and hung up.

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Damn. Everyone keeps saying Nixon was much more Presidential than Trump, but that sounds an awful lot like someone Trump would have on his staff.

[Nitram]

4. Yes, Nixon hd flunkies on his staff chosen for loyalty above all. Just like Trump.