Nixon's Checkers Speech Under attack for having used a secret campaign fund for his personal expenses, Richard M.

« The first way is to be a rich man.

I don't happen to be a rich man so I couldn't use that. Another way that is used is to put your wife on the payroll.

Let me say, incidentally, my opponent, my opposite number for the Vice Presidency on the Democraticticket, does have his wife on the payroll.

And has had her on his payroll for the ten years—the past ten years. Now just let me say this.

That's his business and I'm not critical of him for doing that.

You will have to pass judgment on that particular point.

But I have never donethat for this reason.

I have found that there are so many deserving stenographers and secretaries in Washington that needed the work that I just didn't feel it was rightto put my wife on the payroll. My wife's sitting over here.

She's a wonderful stenographer.

She used to teach stenography and she used to teach shorthand in high school.

That was when I met her.And I can tell you folks that she's worked many hours at night and many hours on Saturdays and Sundays in my office and she's done a fine job.

And I'm proud to saytonight that in the six years I've been in the House and the Senate of the United States, Pat Nixon has never been on the Government payroll. There are other ways that these finances can be taken care of.

Some who are lawyers, and I happen to be a lawyer, continue to practice law.

But I haven't been able todo that.

I'm so far away from California and I've been so busy with my Senatorial work that I have not engaged in any legal practice. And also as far as law practice is concerned, it seemed to me that the relationship between an attorney and the client was so personal that you couldn't possiblyrepresent a man as an attorney and then have an unbiased view when he presented his case to you in the event that he had one before the Government. And so I felt that the best way to handle these necessary political expenses of getting my message to the American people and the speeches I made, the speeches that Ihad printed, for the most part, concerned this one message—of exposing this Administration, the Communism in it, the corruption in it—the only way that I could dothat was to accept the aid which people in my home state of California who contributed to my campaign and who continued to make these contributions after I waselected were glad to make. And let me say I am proud of the fact that not one of them has ever asked me for a special favor.

I'm proud of the fact that not one of them has ever asked me to voteon a bill other than as my own conscience would dictate.

And I am proud of the fact that the taxpayers by subterfuge or otherwise have never paid one dime forexpenses which I thought were political and shouldn't be charged to the taxpayers. Let me say, incidentally, that some of you may say, “Well, that's all right, Senator, that's your explanation, but have you got any proof?” And I'd like to tell you this evening that just about an hour ago we received an independent audit of this entire fund. I suggested to Gov.

Sherman Adams, who is the chief of staff of the Dwight Eisenhower campaign, that an independent audit and legal report be obtained.

And Ihave that audit here in my hand. It's an audit made by the Price, Waterhouse & Co.

firm, and the legal opinion by Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, lawyers in Los Angeles, the biggest law firm andincidentally one of the best ones in Los Angeles. I'm proud to be able to report to you tonight that this audit and this legal opinion is being forwarded to General Eisenhower.

And I'd like to read to you the opinionthat was prepared by Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and based on all the pertinent laws and statutes, together with the audit report prepared by the certified publicaccountants. “It is our conclusion that Senator Nixon did not obtain any financial gain from the collection and disbursement of the fund by Dana Smith; that Senator Nixon did notviolate any Federal or state law by reason of the operation of the fund, and that neither the portion of the fund paid by Dana Smith directly to reimburse him fordesignated office expenses constituted income to the Senator which was either reportable or taxable as income under applicable tax laws.

(signed) Gibson, Dunn &Crutcher by Alma H.

Conway.” Now that, my friends, is not Nixon speaking, but that's an independent audit which was requested because I want the American people to know all the facts and I'mnot afraid of having independent people go in and check the facts, and that is exactly what they did. But then I realize that there are still some who may say, and rightly so, and let me say that I recognize that some will continue to smear regardless of what the truthmay be, but that there has been understandably some honest misunderstanding on this matter, and there's some that will say: “Well, maybe you were able, Senator, to fake this thing.

How can we believe what you say? After all, is there a possibility that maybe you got some sums in cash? Isthere a possibility that you may have feathered your own nest?” And so now what I am going to do—and incidentally this is unprecedented in the history of American politics—I am going at this time to give to this television andradio audience a complete financial history; everything I've earned; everything I've spent; everything I owe.

And I want you to know the facts.

I'll have to start early. I was born in 1913.

Our family was one of modest circumstances and most of my early life was spent in a store out in East Whittier.

It was a grocery store—one ofthose family enterprises.

The only reason we were able to make it go was because my mother and dad had five boys and we all worked in the store. I worked my way through college and to a great extent through law school.

And then, in 1940, probably the best thing that ever happened to me happened, I marriedPat—sitting over here.

We had a rather difficult time after we were married, like so many of the young couples who may be listening to us.

I practiced law; shecontinued to teach school.

I went into the service. Let me say that my service record was not a particularly unusual one.

I went to the South Pacific.

I guess I'm entitled to a couple of battle stars.

I got a couple ofletters of commendation but I was just there when the bombs were falling and then I returned.

I returned to the United States and in 1946 I ran for the Congress. When we came out of the war, Pat and I—Pat during the war had worked as a stenographer and in a bank and as an economist for a Government agency—and whenwe came out the total of our savings from both my law practice, her teaching and all the time that I was in the war—the total for that entire period was just a little lessthan $10,000.

Every cent of that, incidentally was in Government bonds. Well that's where we start when I go into politics.

Now what have I earned since I went into politics? Well here it is—I jotted it down, let me read the notes.

First ofall I've had my salary as a Congressman and as a Senator.

Second, I have received a total in this past six years of $1,600 from estates which were in my law firm atthe time that I severed my connection with it.. »