conversations recorded in the Oval Office, the president refused to comply. On Friday, October 19, 1973, Nixon offered what was later known as the Stennis Compromise–asking the infamously hard-of-hearing Senator John C. Stennis of Missis-sippi to review and summarize the tapes for the special prosecutor’s office. Cox refused the compromise that same evening, and it was believed that there would be a short rest in the legal maneuvering while government offices were closed for the weekend.

However, on the following day (Saturday), Nixon ordered Attorney General Richardson to fire Cox. Both Richardson and Ruckelshaus had given personal as-surances to Congressional oversight committees that they would not interfere, but Bork had not. Although Bork later claimed he believed Nixon's order to be valid and appropriate, he s...

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