Orange County Archives , Flickr //CC BY 2.0
A portion of president seem to have “ that ” buddy . Jimmy Carter had Billy , and Bill Clinton has Roger . Then there ’s Don Nixon .
Back in the ‘ L , Dick ’s young brother , Don , prevail a string of drive - in burger joint in California . Customers could delight fish sticks and fries for just 40 cents , a banana tear for 25 cents , or a “ Nixonburger ” with cheese for 20 cent .
Despite these reasonable prices and a family - friendly air , Nixon ’s was n’t doing so well . In 1956 , Don took a loan of $ 205,000 from Howard Hughes — yes , Spruce GooseHoward Hughes — in ordination to keep his trading operations afloat . When Dick Nixon ’s opponents travail up this dirt during the political campaign season for the 1960 election , the press had a theatre of operations solar day with it . Tricky Dick ’s political enemies insist it proved Hughes had a fastness over the kinsperson , and the whole affair became a punchline for political cartoons and pragmatic jokers . During a campaign stop in San Francisco ’s Chinatown , the succeeding Chief Executive was convinced to beat for a photo op in front of a large banner with Chinese case written on it . A residenteventuallywhispered to him that the planetary house learn , “ What about the Hughes loanword ? ”
afterwards the same day , Nixon was have lunch with community leaders when fortune cookies were passed out post - meal . After the entire crew give way out laughing , he discovered that the paper inside each cookieread , “ Ask him about the Hughes loan . ”
Though there were other contributing element to JFK ’s eventual election profits that year , the Nixonburger Scandal wasright up there . And to summate affront to injury , the loan ended up being totally useless : Despite the money , the restaurant went under and Don charge for bankruptcy in 1961 . Don worried that he had cost his crony the election , andNixon assured himthat the scandal only had an impingement in California , which they win anyway .
However , during testimonial over the Watergate dirt class later , it became percipient that the older Nixon never did find much corporate trust in his younger brother : Dickadmittedto having his brother ’s earpiece wiretapped to monitor any louche business dealings .
