WATERGATE

Imperial Presidency –Depression –World War II –Cold War

WATERGATE Nixon expanded the imperial aspect of the Presidency

WATERGATE Nixon confided in a small circle of advisors and disregarded others in government including Congress and the Constitution

WATERGATE Key Players H. R. Haldeman Chief of Staff

WATERGATE John Ehrlichman Chief Domestic Advisor

WATERGATE John Mitchell Attorney General

WATERGATE John W Dean Presidential Counsel

WATERGATE President Nixon

WATERGATE June 17, burglars broke into Democratic headquarters

WATERGATE Wanted to bug Democratic headquarters Watergate Office Building

WATERGATE

CREEP Committee to reelect the President’

WATERGATE Burglars were caught Ties to CREEP Cover up began

WATERGATE Bernard L. Barker Former Central Intelligence Agency operative Barker was said to have been involved in the Bay of Pigs incident in 1962.

WATERGATE Virgilio R. Gonzales locksmith from Miami, Florida. Gonzalez was a refugee from Cuba, following Castro's takeover.

WATERGATE James W. McCord a security co-coordinator for the Republican National Committee and the Committee for the Re-election of the President. McCord was also a former FBI and CIA agent. He was dismissed from his RNC and CREEP positions the day after the break-in.

WATERGATE Eugenio R. Martinez – worked for Barker's Miami real estate firm. He had CIA connections and was an anti- Castro Cuban exile.

Frank Sturgis another associate of Barker from Miami, he also had CIA connections and involvement in anti-Castro activities.

WATERGATE Washington Post Reporters Carl Bernstein

WATERGATE Bob Woodward

WATERGATE Ben Bradlee Editor of Washington post

WATERGATE Cover up began soon after the arrests of the burglars

WATERGATE White House with President Nixon consent asked CIA to have the FBI to stop its investigation of the break in

WATERGATE Inside Source “Deep Throat”

WATERGATE Mark Felt Deputy Director of FBI

WATERGATE Paid 450,000 to keep burglars quiet January 1973 trial of the burglars began

WATERGATE John Sirica was the judge who believed there was more to the burglary

WATERGATE James McCord a few days before he was sentenced wrote a letter to judge Sirica stating that he had lied

WATERGATE Powerful members of Nixon’s administration had been involved Cover up continued

WATERGATE April 30, 1973 Nixon dismissed –John Dean –Halderman –Erlichman –Kelendienst

WATERGATE Nixon went on television to claim he had no part of the cover up

WATERGATE New attorney General Elliot Richardson

WATERGATE Appointed a special prosecutor to investigate Watergate Archibald Cox

WATERGATE The “Presidents Men” were called to testify

WATERGATE John Dean told the Senate that Nixon was deeply involved

WATERGATE Alexander Butterfield came out that all conversations were taped

WATERGATE For a year Nixon fought not to release the tapes Nixon refused to release the tapes

WATERGATE Nixon then ordered Elliot Richardson to fire Cox He refused

WATERGATE Deputy attorney General then also refused to fire Cox He was fired

WATERGATE Solicitor General Robert Bork then fined Cox

Became known as the “Saturday Night Massacre”

WATERGATE New prosecutor Leon Jaworski was fast as determined to get the truth and tapes The White House was in trouble

WATERGATE In October of 1973 Spiro Agnew, Vice President, resigned pleading nolo colendre ( No contest) to accepting bribes when he was Governor of Maryland

WATERGATE

Vice President Spiro Agnew Resigned over a corruption scandal

Watergate Why might have Agnew been forced to resign? Other than he was being charged with a crime?

WATERGATE Under 25 th Amendment Nixon appointed Gerald Ford as Vice President

WATERGATE Nixon released transcripts this did not satisfy the Senate They had begun impeachment discussions

WATERGATE Senate Investigation President went on TV to deny

WATERGATE Senate Hearings Sam Ervin

WATERGATE Senate asked for tapes again

WATERGATE Judge John Siricia issued order to release tapes

WATERGATE Nixon refused Nixon claimed executive privilege

WATERGATE Nixon stated unedited tapes would jeopardize National security. Supreme court in Nixon v. USA

WATERGATE Supreme court ruled that the president is not above the law and that if there was a crime National Security is not in place

WATERGATE Nixon released transcripts that were edited Finally Nixon released tape

WATERGATE 18 minute gap Erased by accident by Mary Woods Nixon’s secretary Tapes proved Nixon knew about break in

WATERGATE And agreed to obstruct the FBI investigation

WATERGATE Nixon resigned as President August 8, 1974 before the Articles of Impeachment were voted on in the House

WATERGATE Gerald Ford was sworn in as President Nixon was the first President to resign from office