Watergate Scandal

What is “Watergate”? A hotel and office complex in Washington D.C (next door to George Washington University)‏ In this office building was the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee – this is the organization that runs the Democratic Party

While Nixon was president, he liked to keep an “eye” on what anti-war protestors and civil rights leaders were doing – he also kept an eye on what his political opposition was doing – the Democrats. In 1972, five men broke into the DNC office in order to place wiretaps and photograph documents. One of these men was a member of the Committee to Reelect the President.

Nixon's White House Staff (Chief of Staff, Economic Advisors, etc) began to plan the cover-up. The White House asked the FBI to stop investigating The Committee to Reelect the President paid the burglars to keep quiet. The burglary was not made public until after Nixon was reelected in November of 1972. Two Washington Post reporters began to investigate, however.

The two reporters were Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein – they ran a series of articles uncovering information that linked the Nixon administration to the burglary. They were getting their information from a leak in the executive branch. In 1973, when the burglars went on trial, the leader of the break- in told the judge that he had lied when he said the Nixon administration had nothing to do with the break-in. The Senate began it's own investigation of the Watergate break-in and called Nixon's staff in to testify.

Everything came out when Nixon's staff began to testify. Former attorney general John Dean revealed that Nixon was involved with the cover-up of the burglary since the beginning. Former Presidential aide Alexander Butterfield revealed that Nixon had taped all of the conversations held in the Oval Office. The Senate demanded the tapes be handed over, but Nixon argued that executive privilege gave him the right to withhold the tapes.

In response, Nixon executed the so-called Saturday night massacre. Investigators rejected Nixon’s claim of executive privilege and Special Prosecutor Cox and the Senate Watergate committee issued subpoenas demanding the tapes. In response, Nixon executed the so-called Saturday night massacre. Nixon directed attorney general Elliot Richardson to fire Cox. He refused and quit. Nixon then ordered Richardson’s assistant to fire Cox. He refused and resigned. Finally, the third-ranking official in the Justice Department fired Cox. In 1974, after a Supreme Court order, Nixon released the tapes. Although 18 minutes on one of the tapes had been erased, it still contained convicting information.

Nixon's impeachment process began in the House of Representatives. Before the House could vote to impeach him, Nixon resigned the Presidency. Gerald Ford, his Vice President, was sworn in as President.