A few days away from the U.S. elections, a look at Ed Kemper’s strange link to the Republican party, as he received a letter from the Committee to re-elect President Nixon thanking him for volunteer work in the 1972 campaign.
On April 30, 1973, Kemper, after his arraignment in Superior court on eight counts of murder, startled reporters when he showed them the form letter on White House stationery. The First Family’s picture was on the front of it and the “thank you for campaign effort” message inside along with the mimeographed signatures of the President and his family.
Kemper’s Santa Cruz address was on the envelope. It bore a Washington postmark dated April 26, two days after Kemper was arrested in Pueblo, Colorado. Kemper’s attorney, Jim Jackson, could not shed much light on this rather unusual development:
Jackson: It was mailed to him apparently. It came yesterday.
Reporter: Did he have an active role in the campaign, do you know?
Jackson: He voted against Mr. Nixon. (laughs)
Reporter: Against Mr. Nixon?
Jackson: That’s what he told me.
Reporter: And how would he get this letter?
Jackson: You have to ask the Committee to re-elect the President.
Source: Bay Area TV Archive
