ABSTRACT
Gerald R. Ford served as president of the United States from August 9, 1974, to January 20, 1977, and lost the 1976 election to Jimmy Carter. A longtime member of the US House of Representatives from Michigan, Ford entered the executive branch through the provisions of the Constitution's Twenty-fifth Amendment, which sets out the selection process for vacancies in the presidency and vice presidency. Surprised and alarmed by the charges, and mindful of the upcoming 1976 presidential election, President Ford acted quickly. Ford hoped that establishing the commission, to be headed by Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, would avert a congressional inquiry into the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Ford worried that an investigation by Congress would be hard to control and might result in the unnecessary disclosure of sensitive information that could damage the CIA's ability to function. Ford, who viewed the Church Committee as reckless and politically motivated, realized that he had to respond to the political storm.
