A TYPED LETTER SIGNED by Spiro Agnew's bagman I.H. "BUD" HAMMERMAN, during Agnew's 1966 run for the governorship of Maryland, together with a later 1973 newspaper article touting Agnew as the G.O.P.'s top choice for the next presidential election, ANNOTATED & SIGNED by BUD HAMMERMAN, with an AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED by Agnew's Chief of Staff ART SOHMER, putting into perspective this rosy scenario given that Agnew was under investigation at the time. by (Agnew, Spiro T. [1918-1996]). Hammerman, I.H. "Bud"; and Sohmer, Art (Chief of Staff to Vice President Agnew) - [1966 & 1973].

Baltimore, Maryland, September 14, 1966; and Washington, D.C., May 2nd,1973. [1966 & 1973]., [1966 & 1973].. Very good. THE BEGINNINGS OF A CRIME THAT BROUGHT DOWN SPIRO AGNEW - What is being offered is a 70 plus word letter typed on 11 inch high by 8-1/2 inch wide cream "S.L. Hammerman Organization, Inc." stationery with the firm's oval embossed gilt device and letterhead along the top. In his September 14th, 1966 letter to Maryland's gubernatorial candidate Spiro Agnew, the notorious mortgage banker and real estate investor "Bud" Hammerman writes: "I have taken the liberty of reserving Wednesday, November 9th, for a luncheon at the Emerson Hotel (the day after election) for the Advertising Club to welcome the new Governor." Signed "Bud" in sienna ink by the financier. An annotation penned at the bottom in Agnew's hand requests that "Joe" schedule this event "provided we win". The letter is folded for mailing with minor creases along the edges.

Stapled to the letter is the retained copy of Spiro Agnew's response.

Together with an April 29, 1973 New York Times article titled "Agnew Remains Top G.O.P. Choice" printed on a 12-3/4 inch high by 2-1/2 inch wide clipping from the newspaper, boldly annotated in ink by Hammerman in the margin: "Lets Go!!! Best w Bud II". Attached is Hammerman's business card.

The article was sent by "Bud" Hammerman to the Vice President and stapled to it is an autograph letter by Agnew's Chief of Staff Art Sohmer, dated "5/2/73". In his letter penned in green ink on 8 inch high by 5-1/4 inch wide "Office of the Vice President" stationery, Art Sohmer writes "Apparently a number of us have failed to convince Bud that his ardor is chronologically misplaced - at least." Signed "Art Sohmer". Agnew has acknowledged reading the letter by penning his initials "sta" in black ink near the bottom. Very good.

In the midst of the Watergate scandal, Nixon's Vice President Spiro T. Agnew (1918-1996) was under investigation for Tax Fraud associated with brides he took while serving as Governor of Maryland. In a plea bargain, Agnew pled guilty to tax avoidance and was subsequently forced to resign his position as Vice President.

Agnew's bagman, the millionaire Baltimore real estate developer and mortgage banker I.H. "Bud" Hammerman admitted to his role in the bribery-kickback scheme that he participated in on behalf of Spiro Agnew during his years as Governor of Maryland. He had taken a 25 percent share of kickbacks paid by State contractors while Agnew was Governor. Hammerman pled guilty to Federal income tax evasion and cooperated with the authorities investigating Vice President Agnew leading to Agnew's resignation. The on-going corruption had continued while Agnew was serving as Vice President and courts later ruled that the former VP was to repay to the State of Maryland the substantial sums he'd taken as bribes and kickbacks.