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Spiro Theodore Agnew (November 9, 1,918 -- September 17, 1,996) was the thirty-ninth Vice President of the United States (and the first Greek American to serve in that capacity) serving under President Richard M. Nixon, and the 55th Governor of Maryland. He is noted for his quick rise in politics - going in six years from County Executive to Vice President of the United States.
During his fifth year as Vice President, in the late summer of 1,973, Agnew was under investigation by the U.S. 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, Agnew was allowed to plead no contest to a single charge that he had failed to report $29,500 of income received in 1,967, with the condition that he resign the office of Vice President.
Agnew was the first Vice President in U.S. history to resign because of criminal charges. Ten years after leaving office, in January 1,983, Agnew paid the state of Maryland nearly $270,000 as a result of a civil suit that stemmed from the bribery allegations |
