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-Z- principal in one large-engineering firm began while the defendant was < g = . a . ft ; * County Executive” of Baltimore County in the early 1960s and continued , 4 . into 1971. The evidence also discloses payments by another engineer up to and tetain December, 1972. None of the Government's major ‘witnesses has ees promised immunity from prosecution, and each of ; | the witnesses who would testify to having made direct payments to the Vice President has signed a sworn statement subject to the penalties of perjury. | In the Light of the serious wrongdoing shown by its evidence, the Government mesg have insisted, if permitted by the Court to do so, on pressing forward with the return of an iridictment charging bribery and .extortion. To have done this, however, would have been likely to inflict upon the Nation “serious and permanent scars. It would have been the defendant's right to put the prosecution to its proof. The Department of Justice had conceded the power of Congress, once an indictment had been returned, to proceed by impcachment. The Congress could well have elected to exerkise this constitutional power. If the Congress chose not ‘to act, the defendant could, while retaining office, either have insisted upon his right to a trial by jury or have continued to contest the right of the Government to try an incumbent Vice President. Whichever of these courses were followed would have consumed not simply months but years--with potentially disastrous consequences to vital interests of the United States. Confidence in the adequacy of our fundamental institutions te i ee '