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The Watergate Scandal

Objective

Examine the circumstances surrounding the Watergate scandal and the impact on the presidency. **Show Watergate Part 16 (“Nixon, The Plumbers and the Enemy List”)

Watergate

• Hotel/Office building in Washington, DC. • 1972: Democratic Party national headquarters • June, ‘72: Break-in • **Watergate Part 18 (“President Nixon Goes to Russia”)

1 Republican Committee to Re- Elect the President (CREEP) • Raised money, etc. to get Nixon re-elected. • Former Attorney General John Mitchell was director

The Plumbers

• 5 men caught breaking into Democratic offices at Watergate. • Plumbers “stopped leaks” to press, spied on enemies, etc. • Plumbers had ties to CIA & FBI • Most famous are G. Gordon Liddy Howard Hunt • **Watergate Part 19 to 1:45 (“President Nixon Instructs Haldeman to turn the F.B.I.”)

Evidence against CREEP

• Plumber had little black book with John Mitchell’s phone number. •Plumbers were paid $10,000. Money traced back to CREEP. •Attorneys (employed by CREEP) showed up to defend the Plumbers despite the fact that the Plumbers hadn’t made a phone call yet.

2 Nixon orders cover-up

• Nixon meets with key advisors about Watergate next day • **Show Part 19 (“President Nixon instructs Haldeman to turn the F.B.I.”) after 1:45 • Nixon orders to cover-up Watergate break-in. • Nixon publicly announces had nothing to do with break-in.

Senate Investigation begins

• 7/72: Senate asks CIA to investigate the break-in. • Nixon orders two of his aides to block the CIA investigation. • Nixon Crime #1:

Washington Post

• and investigate break-in. • Publish stories. • Main : “” – In 2008, of the FBI admitted he was Deep Throat • Uncover the cover-up and Nixon’s involvement.

3 Watergate Uncovered

•Nixon wins 1972 Presidency in a landslide. •Dean giving bribes to people to keep quiet. Promises if caught. •March, 1973: Senate says that there is enough evidence of a cover- up but cannot link Nixon to the cover-up. •Big break comes at the trial of the “Plumbers”.

Plumbers Trial

• Burglars (Plumbers) sentenced to 6-40 years. • James McCord, a Plumber, names people in the White House who are involved in cover-up to save himself, including John Dean. • Nixon orders those mentioned by McCord to resign.

John Dean makes deal

•Nixon trying to distance himself from cover-up and put blame on John Dean. •**Show rest of Watergate Part 22 (“ Ends and the Watergate Investigation Escalates”) and Part 23 (“President Nixon continues to cover up and fight his critics”) •Nixon fires Dean. Dean makes deal and testifies against Nixon. •Dean testified before the House Committee that was investigating the Watergate . •Nixon’s word against Dean’s

4 The Turning Point

• Nixon secretary tells of Nixon taping conversations. • **Show Part 24 (“Congress Continues to investigate Watergate ”) (3:48-6:26) • Nixon still has tapes that tell of his involvement in cover-up

The Nixon Tapes

• Oct. ‘73: Nixon ordered to hand over tapes to prosecutor. • **Watch rest of Part 24 • Nixon refuses citing and National Security. • He turns in typed, edited summaries instead. • **Watch Part 25 (“Nixon fires the special prosecutor”) to 7:00

Talks of Impeachment

• 1,000,000 letters sent to Congress demanding Nixon’s resignation or impeachment. •**Finish Part 25 (“Nixon fires the special prosecution”) from 7:00 •11/73: Nixon turns over 7 of 9 tapes. There is 18 minutes missing out of one that talks specifically about Watergate. Nixon says it was erased by accident. •11/73: House of Reps. begins hearings to decide if they will impeach Nixon on Obstruction of Justice. • Further investigations show there are a total of 64 tapes (not just 9) made after Watergate break-in and Nixon kept them all.

5 Battle with House

• Nixon ordered to turn over all tapes to House of Reps. • Nixon refuses. Sends edited transcripts. • **Watch Part 26 (“Congress Moves to Impeace Nixon”to 3:37) • House approved 3 articles of impeachment: Obstruction of Justice, Abuse of Presidential Power, and Court.

Nixon Problems get worse

•5/74: Supreme Court orders Nixon to release those tapes. •Tapes show that Nixon did indeed order a cover-up and obstructed justice. •Will face impeachment charges and possibly charges as a civilian.

Problems with IRS

• became Vice-President in 1973 after had resigned due to tax fraud. • IRS announced Nixon owed $432,000 in back taxes.

6 Nixon Resigns

• Watch Part 27 • 8/6/74: Nixon resigns before he can be impeached. • Nixon never admitted wrong doing.

President Gerald Ford

• Ford becomes president after Nixon resigns. • Ford gives Nixon a full , ending Watergate controversy.

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