Adams was forced to resign in 1958, when a House subcommittee revealed Adams had accepted an expensive
vicuna overcoat and
oriental rug[SUP]
[5][/SUP] from Bernard Goldfine, a Boston textile manufacturer who was being investigated for
Federal Trade Commission violations. Goldfine, who had business with the federal government, was cited for contempt of Congress when he refused to answer questions regarding his relationship with Adams.[SUP]
[6][/SUP] The story was first reported to the public by
muckraking journalist
Jack Anderson.
Vice President Richard Nixon stated that he was assigned the onerous responsibility of telling Adams that he had to resign. He regretted the necessity, as Adams' career in politics ended and he went off "to operate a ski lodge" without any judicial findings. In
the Nixon Interviews, Nixon argued that he was unable to fire the White House staffers involved in the Watergate scandal, much as President Eisenhower was unable to directly fire Adams.[SUP]
[7][/SUP] However, according to
Time's September 29, 1958, article on Adams, the job of firing Adams actually fell to
Meade Alcorn, not Nixon.[SUP]
[8][/SUP]