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The Cover-Up Begins
When the media discovered that one burglar, Jamed McCord, wan an ex-CIA officer but also a member of the Committee for the re-election of the president (CPR). Reports surfaced that the burglars had been paid from a secret CPR fun controlled by the white house. Nixon may not have orded the break-in but he did order a cover-up. Nixon's consent, administration officals asked the CIA to stop the FBI from investigating the source of money paid to the burglars. -
FBI Releasing Information.
When the CIA told the FBI that the investigation threatened national security. The FBI deputy director W. Mark Felt then secretly leaked information about Watergat to the Washington Post. Also, Nixon's press secretary dissmed the incident and the preisdent told the American public, "The White House has had no involvement whatever in this particular incident.". Most Americans believed Nixon, Nixon won reelection by one of the largest margins in history. -
Roots of Watergate
A young Washingtong Post reporter named Bob Woodward was assigned to cover a seemingly insignicant but bizarre incident. Early that morning, 5 men had broken into the Democratic National Committee headquaters in the city's watergate apartment office complex. Woodward was sitting in the courtroom with the 5 defendants, the judge asked them their occupation, James McCord answered he was retired from goverment service, CIA. Over two years Woodward and Berstein, uncovered a scandal. -
The Cover-Up Unravels
Early 1973, the Watergate burglars went on trial. Under relentless pordding from the federal judge John J. Sirica, McCord agreed to cooperate with the grand jury investigation and to testify before the newly created Senate Selct Committee on Preidential Campaign Activities. -
Summer of Shocking Testinmony
McCord's testimony opened a floodgate of confessions. Presidential consel John Dean, who had tesified June 1973, confessed that former attornet general John Mitchell had ordered the Watergate break-in and that nixon had taken part in the cover-up. Alexanger Butterfield testified that Nixon had ordered a taping system installed in the White House to record all conversations to help him write his memoirs after leaving office. The tapes could tell the committee what Nixon knew and when he did. -
The Case Of Tapes
Nixon refused to hand over the tapes, pleading executive privilege, the principle that the White House conversations should remain confidential to protect national security. Special Prosecutor, Archibald Cox took Nixon to court to make him give up the tapes. Nixon ordered Attornery Richardson to fire Cox, But Richardson refused and resigned, also Richards deptuy. Nixon's solicitor general, Robert Bork, finally fired Cox, but this ruined Nixons preutaion badly. -
The Case of the Tapes
The fall 1973 proved disastrous or other reasons. Vice preident Spiro Agnew resigned in disgrace after investigation found that he had taken bribes while governor of Maryland and while serving in office in Washington. Gerald Ford, republican leader of the house of representatives, became the new vice president. -
Gerald Ford
When Gerald Ford took ofice as president of the United States after Nixon's resignation. He urged Americans to put the scandal behind them, saying, "Our long national nightmare is over." On September 8, 1974 Ford announced a full pardon for Nixon, this drew public criticism and diminished his popularity. -
Nixon Resigns
In July the surpreme court ruled that Nixon had to surrender the tapes. He complied. Days later, the House of Judiciary Committee voted to impeach Nixon, or officiall charge him with misconduct. Charges included obstructing justice, mususing federal agents to violate the rights of citizens, and defying the authority of Congress. New evidenced emerged that Nixon had ordered the CIA to stop the FBI probe into the Watergate burglary on June 23,1972. On August 9, 1974 Nixon resigned in disgrace.