When Agnew steps into the Baltimore County executive job, corruption in local government is par for the course. Agnew believes he is just doing what every other local official has done, and perhaps he is right; but Agnew takes the relatively small-scale operation to new heights. As governor, he broadens his extortion racket across the entire state. As vice president, he includes federal contractors in his scheme, even trying to wrestle control over all federal contracts away from the various agencies traditionally in charge of them. With each new bribe or white envelope of cash, Agnew becomes more emboldened to continue his crimes, and any thoughts of guilt or remorse slip into the dark recesses of his conscience. Even after prosecutors uncover plenty of incriminating evidence, Agnew refuses to admit any wrongdoing. He has gotten away with his crimes for so long, he becomes inured to any suggestion of guilt. His position and status, as far as he is concerned, entitle him to take what he wants, and quaint notions of law and order are merely irritations and obstacles to his self-enrichment.

While Agnew knows the investigation is closing in, he sees it as oppressive—as “dirty prosecutors who were corrupting the justice system” (109).