News stories from Sunday September 8, 1974

Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:

President Ford granted former President Nixon an unconditional pardon for any federal crimes he may have committed during his term in office. The pardon exempts Mr. Nixon from indictment and trial for, among other things, his role in the cover-up of the Watergate burglary. Mr. Ford said the pardon was intended to spare both Mr. Nixon and the country further punishment resulting from the Watergate scandals. Philip Buchen, the White House counsel who advised Mr. Ford on the legal aspects of the pardon, said it was an "act of mercy" on the President's part and was done without making any demands on Mr. Nixon and without asking the advice of the Watergate special prosecutor, Leon Jaworski. [New York Times] Within 10 minutes after the presidential pardon was announced, former President Nixon made a public statement at his estate in San Clemente, Calif., expressing "regret and pain at the anguish my mistakes over Watergate have caused the nation and the presidency." [New York Times] A spokesman for Mr. Jaworski said the Watergate special prosecutor apparently has no plans to challenge the validity of Mr. Nixon's unconditional pardon. John Barker, the spokesman, said that Mr. Jaworski "thinks it's within the President's power to do it." He added that Mr. Jaworski had not been consulted in advance by Mr. Ford or White House lawyers, and that he learned of the President's decision less than an hour before it was announced. [New York Times] The White House announced that Mr. Nixon and the Ford administration had reached an agreement under which Mr. Nixon will ultimately be permitted to destroy the White House tape recordings that led to his downfall. The agreement also provides that all Mr. Nixon's presidential papers and tapes will be preserved for three years for possible use in court cases arising out of the Watergate case. [New York Times] Jerry terHorst, the White House press secretary, resigned in protest against President Ford's pardon of Mr. Nixon. [New York Times] Benton Becker, a 36-year-old Washington lawyer, said to be well connected with the White House and a close friend of President Ford, was intermediary between Mr. Ford and Mr. Nixon on the pardon. Mr. Becker was described by a former colleague in the Justice Department as "a real wheeler-dealer." Philip Buchen, the White House counsel, described Mr. Becker as "a very savvy guy whose loyalty belongs to the Oval Office." [New York Times] A Trans World Airlines jet bound from Tel Aviv for New York with 88 persons aboard crashed in the stormy Ionian Sea off Greece. The Greek Civil Aviation Authority said there appeared to be no survivors. T.W.A. said flight 841 fell from an overcast sky after the pilot reported that an engine had failed. In Paris, it was reported that a Palestinian group said it had placed one of its guerrillas on the plane with a bomb that he had exploded in flight. [New York Times] Robert (Evel) Knievel, the motorcycle stuntman, failed but survived in an attempt to rocket 1,600 feet across the Snake River Canyon in Twin Falls, Idaho. He mounted a 13-foot steam rocket in a stunt that attracted thousands of people. The flight aborted, however, almost as soon as the steam exploded from the rocket's rear nozzle. The rocket landed on its nose on the rocky bank of the Snake River, and Mr. Knievel was pulled unhurt from the craft several minutes later. [New York Times] Big money -- from family fortunes and large contributors -- had a major role in the New York Democratic primary campaign despite new state and federal campaign-finance laws that were supposed to have reduced its influence. Interviews with campaign aides and an analysis of the campaign financial reports show that there was considerable evidence of circumventing of the new laws in fact and in spirit, possible unrecorded cash contributions and spending and even "laundering" of campaign contributions to circumvent the laws. [New York Times]