Bag Man: The Wild Crimes, Audacious Cover-Up, and Spectacular Downfall of a Brazen Crook in the White House

Richardson issues a statement in repudiation of Agnew’s speech, praising Petersen’s “distinguished” service, but the damage is done. Agnew has successfully cast doubt on the system itself. His attorneys double down on the attack, focusing on the leaks and the unnamed sources quoted in the press. The strategy is effective, forcing Richardson and the Baltimore prosecutors to waste valuable time on an internal investigation. In a risky ploy, Agnew’s defense team asks the court to conduct its own investigation of the press. Despite the obvious First Amendment issues with such a request, Judge Walter Hoffman, famously antagonistic toward the press, is appointed to the case. When London asks for permission to depose members of the press and the Justice Department—a totally unprecedented move—Hoffman agrees. Ten reporters are subpoenaed—the “Agnew Ten”—with orders to testify or face jail time. Although London and his team’s tactics successfully muddy the waters for a time, Solicitor General Robert Bork issues his own legal memo echoing the OLC opinion: The DOJ has the right and obligation to continue investigating Agnew, and the vice president is not shielded from prosecution the way the president is.