Opinion ID: 109729
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: The materials at issue consist of some 42 million pages of documents and some 880 tape recordings of conversations. Upon his resignation, appellant directed Government archivists to pack and ship the materials to him in California. This shipment was delayed when the Watergate Special Prosecutor advised President Ford of his continuing need for the materials. At the same time, President Ford requested that the Attorney General give his opinion respecting ownership of the materials. The Attorney General advised that the historical practice of former Presidents and the absence of any governing statute to the contrary supported ownership in the appellant, with a possible limited exception. [2] 43 Op. Atty. Gen. No. 1 (1974), App. 220-230. The Attorney General's opinion emphasized, however: Historically, there has been consistent acknowledgement that Presidential materials are peculiarly affected by a public interest which may justify subjecting the absolute ownership rights of the ex-President to certain limitations directly related to the character of the documents as records of government activity. Id., at 226. On September 8, 1974, after issuance of the Attorney General's opinion, the Administrator of General Services, Arthur F. Sampson, announced that he had signed a depository agreement with appellant under the authority of 44 U. S. C. § 2107. 10 Weekly Comp. of Pres. Doc. 1104 (1974). We shall also refer to the agreement as the Nixon-Sampson agreement. See Nixon v. Sampson, 389 F. Supp. 107, 160-162 (DC 1975) (App. A). The agreement recited that appellant retained all legal and equitable title to the Materials, including all literary property rights, and that the materials accordingly were to be deposited temporarily near appellant's California home in an existing facility belonging to the United States. Id., at 160. The agreement stated further that appellant's purpose was to donate the materials to the United States with appropriate restrictions. Ibid. It was provided that all of the materials shall be placed within secure storage areas to which access can be gained only by use of two keys, one in appellant's possession and the other in the possession of the Archivist of the United States or members of his staff. With exceptions not material here, appellant agreed not to withdraw from deposit any originals of the materials for a period of three years, but reserved the right to make reproductions and to authorize other persons to have access on conditions prescribed by him. After three years, appellant might exercise the right to withdraw from deposit without formality any or all of the Materials . . . and to retain . . . [them] for any purpose . . . determined by him. Id., at 161. The Nixon-Sampson agreement treated the tape recordings separately. They were donated to the United States effective September 1, 1979, and meanwhile shall remain on deposit. It was provided however that [s]ubsequent to September 1, 1979 the Administrator shall destroy such tapes as [Mr. Nixon] may direct and in any event the tapes shall be destroyed at the time of [his] death or on September 1, 1984, whichever event shall first occur. Ibid. Otherwise the tapes were not to be withdrawn, and reproductions would be made only by mutual agreement. Id., at 162. Access until September 1, 1979, was expressly reserved to appellant, except as he might authorize access by others on terms prescribed by him. Public announcement of the agreement was followed 10 days later, September 18, by the introduction of S. 4016 by 13 Senators in the United States Senate. The bill, which became Pub. L. 93-526 and was designed, inter alia, to abrogate the Nixon-Sampson agreement, passed the Senate on October 4, 1974. It was awaiting action in the House of Representatives when on October 17, 1974, appellant filed suit in the District Court seeking specific enforcement of the Nixon-Sampson agreement. That action was consolidated with other suits seeking access to Presidential materials pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U. S. C. § 552 (1970 ed. and Supp. V), and also seeking injunctive relief against enforcement of the agreement. Nixon v. Sampson, supra. [3] The House passed its version of the Senate bill on December 3, 1974. The final version of S. 4016 was passed on December 9, 1974, and President Ford signed it into law on December 19.