The entire Nixon administration was detonating around 1973, see the Watergate scandal. Amid this, Agnew was charged formally with tax evasion as he was accused of taking over 100,000$ in bribes in his various government positions, including Vice President.
The appointment of Gerald R. Ford put more pressure on Nixon, as Agnew was no longer in office, and information on the Watergate scandal moved forward. This led to Nixon himself resigning in 1974 and Gerald R. Ford becoming the 38th President of the United States.
