Richard Nixon is the only American President to resign from office. His participation in the cover-up of the Watergate break-in proved to be his undoing. The key evidence was Nixon comments on audio tapes of phone conversations proving he was actively involved. Years later Nixon would say that if he had burned the tapes on the White House lawn in full view of the Washington press, he would have served out his second term.
Is Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin using the strategy Nixon declined to use? Martin is in full-court press mode telling everyone who will listen-including the special counsel-that none of the records they are seeking are available. Martin paints a picture of a poor, little fellow who came to office with all the information he needed to do his job missing.
Rose Mary Woods was President Nixon's secretary. A loyal Nixon assistant since 1951. She was also the one who revealed the existence of the tapes that eventually led to Nixon's resignation in August, 1974. Is there a Rose Mary Woods in the Villa Hills mystery?
Suppose the previous city clerk steps forward? You know, the one before the endlessly-interim city clerk. The previous clerk worked under the last administration AND for Martin for the first several weeks of his administration. What if she testifies under oath that the city records were in perfect order when she left to take another job?
Then how will Martin explain his persistent inability to fill open records requests? Then how will it make Martin's removal of computers from the city building and police department look?
If the records were properly housed at the city building after Martin took office-and by everyone's account but Martin and Councilman Mike Pope they absolutely were-what really happened to them?
