Rockefeller in the general election and was defeated. In 1972, Nussbaum represented Elizabeth Holtzman who, in a surprise victory, had defeated senior U.S. Representative Emanuel Celler, who at the time was chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, by a little over 600 votes in the Democratic primary election. Celler brought suit in a Brooklyn state court to set aside that victory. Nussbaum won that case, which was ultimately decided by the New York State Court of Appeals, and Holtzman's election was upheld. As a result of that victory, Peter Rodino, a senior congressman from New Jersey replaced Celler and became chairman of the Judiciary Committee which later successfully conducted the impeachment inquiry involving U.S. President Richard Nixon. In the mid-1970s, during New York City's fiscal crises, Nussbaum represented the Comptroller of the City of New York. At the time the comptroller, along with the mayor and the city, were the subject of an investigation by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission into whether there was fraud in the sale of city securities. After a lengthy inquiry, during which numerous documents were produced and top city officials testified, there was no finding of any wrongdoing. While in private practice he also served as a member of the adjunct faculty of Columbia Law School, conducting a seminar in trial practice for third year law students. Nixon impeachment inquiry In December 1973, Nussbaum left his law firm to serve as a senior member on the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment inquiry staff, led by John Doar, which conducted the impeachment investigation involving President Richard Nixon. Nussbaum participated in overseeing the fact gathering process. This included analyzing the White House tape recordings made by President Nixon, and interviewing significant witnesses such as John Dean, the President's former White House Counsel, John Mitchell, the former U.S. Attorney General in the Nixon administration, and Charles Colson, a former special assistant to the President. He played a role in presenting the results of the staff's inquiry to the House Judiciary Committee. In July 1974, the committee, in a bi-partisan vote, voted to recommend to the House of Representatives that the President be impeached. Shortly thereafter, on August 9, 1974, President Nixon resigned. At the conclusion of the impeachment inquiry Nussbaum rejoined his law firm. While serving on the Judiciary Committee staff, Nussbaum met and worked with Hillary Rodham, a recent law school graduate who was also a