Chapter 32 Section 3 Battling Political Enemies
• Nixon suspicious and secretive in nature • “Enemies List” – harassment of people not in favor of the president • Starts wiretaps in 1969 • The Plumbers Nixon’s Reelection Campaign • Committee to Reelect the President – CREEP –headed by John Mitchell • Were unethical on most occasions • Damaged the reputation of Edmund Muskie • Even assigned spies to join campaign committees The Watergate Break‐In • Wiretapping of DNC headquarters at the Watergate apartment complex • Break‐in occurs 6‐17‐1972 –5 men arrested – linked to CREEP • Nixon tried to stop an FBI investigation claiming it was a matter of “national security” • The break‐in and attempted coverup became known as the Watergate scandal • However, information was first hidden • Mitchell, Erlichman, and Haldeman gave “hush money” to defendants and coached them to committ perjury • Nixon won reelection in a landslide The Scandal Unfolds • Scandal would not go away • Nixon proclaimed innocence of himself and his administration • All defendants found guilty but Nixon became more involved • Judge John Sirica felt there were other parties involved • Woodward and Bernstein investigate the case of the Washington Post • As the investigation grew, Nixon forced Haldeman and Erlichman to resign • Alexander Butterfield tells Senate Committee that a wiretap system existed in the White House • The Saturday Night Massacre –Nixon fired those who tried to access the tapes from the White House • Administration spun out of control – Spiro Agnew resignation –Nixon’s popularity dwindling • Gerald Ford the new Vice President • House Committee recommends impeachment • August 5 –Nixon finally hands over “edited” tapes • August 9 –Nixon resigns • The lowest point in American political history still showed that the government works