▁ ▁In ▁his ▁aut obi ography ▁A ▁Time ▁to ▁He al , ▁Ford ▁wrote ▁about ▁a ▁meeting ▁he ▁had ▁with ▁N ixon ' s ▁Chief ▁of ▁Staff , ▁Alexander ▁Ha ig . ▁Ha ig ▁was ▁explaining ▁what ▁he ▁and ▁N ixon ' s ▁staff ▁thought ▁were ▁N ixon ' s ▁only ▁options . ▁He ▁could ▁try ▁to ▁ride ▁out ▁the ▁im pe achment ▁and ▁fight ▁against ▁conv iction ▁in ▁the ▁Senate ▁all ▁the ▁way , ▁or ▁he ▁could ▁res ign . ▁His ▁options ▁for ▁res ign ing ▁were ▁to ▁delay ▁his ▁res ignation ▁until ▁further ▁along ▁in ▁the ▁im pe achment ▁process , ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁sett le ▁for ▁a ▁c ensure ▁vote ▁in ▁Congress , ▁or ▁to ▁p ardon ▁himself ▁and ▁then ▁res ign . ▁Ha ig ▁told ▁Ford ▁that ▁some ▁of ▁N ixon ' s ▁staff ▁suggested ▁that ▁N ixon ▁could ▁agree ▁to ▁res ign ▁in ▁return ▁for ▁an ▁agreement ▁that ▁Ford ▁would ▁p ardon ▁him . ▁ ▁After math ▁ ▁Final ▁legal ▁actions ▁and ▁effect ▁on ▁the ▁law ▁profession ▁Charles ▁Col son ▁p led ▁guilty ▁to ▁charges ▁concerning ▁the ▁Daniel ▁Ell s berg ▁case ; ▁in ▁exchange , ▁the ▁ind ict ment ▁against ▁him ▁for ▁covering ▁up ▁the ▁activities ▁of ▁the ▁Committee ▁to ▁Re - elect ▁the ▁President ▁was ▁dropped , ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁against ▁Stra chan . ▁The ▁remaining ▁five ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Water gate ▁Seven ▁ind icted ▁in ▁March ▁went ▁on ▁trial ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁On ▁January ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9