John Dean, Former White House Counsel to Nixon, to Speak at MBA

John Dean III, who served as White House Counsel to President Richard Nixon and was involved in the Watergate Scandal, will speak at MBA on August 28 at 5:30 p.m. in the Paschall Theater. The event, presented by the Nashville Bar Association, is free and open to the public.

Dean and Jim Robenalt, lawyer and presidential scholar, teamed up seven years ago to create a fascinating ethics program for lawyers, but with the huge public interest in comparisons between Nixon and Trump, they have now have developed a talk for a general audience.

Dean and Robenalt focus on Executive Power and Nixon’s statement in his interview with David Frost: “When the president does it, it is not illegal.” What are the limits of presidential power? When can a president interfere with an existing FBI investigation? What constitutes obstruction of justice? Can a sitting president be indicted? What is the authority of a special prosecutor?

Donald Trump shares some of the personality traits and authoritarian characteristics of Richard Nixon. Thus, learning of how the Nixon White House operated will perhaps be prologue to what might be expected from the Trump White House.

Dean and Robenalt use White House tapes and historic photos to bring the story to life. They show how Nixon's psychological biases worked to bring down his presidency.
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Montgomery Bell Academy

4001 Harding Road
Nashville, TN 37205
(615) 298-5514