Unit 8/9 Finale’ This is it yall…. The last set of notes for this semester

The Roots of Watergate Seeking a Second Term Despite the successes of his first term, Nixon believed his re- election was at risk. He directed his staff to ensure that he won the election of Nixon’s advisers ordered a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate building in Washington, D.C., to steal information about Nixon’s opponents. A security guard called police, who arrested the men. Investigation Bob Woodward, a young reporter with The Washington Post, attended the bail hearing of the defendants. After the discovery that James McCord, one of the Watergate burglars, was a member of the Committee for the Re-Election of the President (often derided as CREEP), rumors circulated that the White House orchestrated the burglary. Woodward and his partner, Carl Bernstein, began investigating.

The Roots of Watergate Hiding Facts Nixon staffers hid their involvement, destroying documents and lying to investigators. The White House tried to stop the FBI investigation and used the CIA to stall the bureau’s case. Nixon publicly denied White House involvement. The cover-up worked. Nixon won re-election by a large majority in 1972.

The Cover-Up Unravels Senate Investigation In early 1973, James McCord testified to the Senate committee investigating potential wrongdoing in the presidential campaign. White House counsel John Dean testified that top administration officials had planned and covered up the burglary, but lack of evidence halted the investigation. The Tapes In July 1973, a White House aide revealed that Nixon had recorded key phone conversations. Nixon refused to hand over the tapes, claiming their publication would compromise national security. Special prosecutor Archibald Cox took Nixon to court to force him to turn over the tapes. Saturday Night Massacre Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire Cox, but Richardson instead offered his resignation. Nixon’s solicitor general Robert Bork fired Cox. The media used the incident as evidence of presidential abuse of power, harming Nixon’s reputation.

The Cover-Up Unravels Vice Presidency After Vice President Spiro Agnew was charged with accepting bribes, he resigned in the fall of Representative Gerald Ford was nominated and approved to replace Agnew as vice president. Turning Over the Tapes In July 1974, the Supreme Court ruled that Nixon must turn over the tapes of his phone conversations. Soon after, a House committee voted to impeach Nixon for obstructing justice, misusing federal agencies, and defying Congress. Resignation Before the House could vote on impeachment, the U.S. public heard Nixon on tape demanding an end to the FBI investigation just days after the Watergate break-in. On August 9, 1974, Nixon became the first president to resign from office, and Gerald Ford assumed the presidency.

The Legacy of Watergate Pardon In September 1974, President Ford pardoned Nixon, which ended the possibility of Nixon standing trial for his role in the Watergate affair. Post-Watergate Reform As a result of issues that arose during the scandal, Congress passed Federal Election Campaign Act Amendments (1974, 1976, 1979) and the Ethics in Government Act (1978). Distrust Following the credibility gap that arose during the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal increased distrust of public officials. Politically, Watergate led Congress to increase the use of independent counsels in subsequent presidential administrations.