The Watergate Crisis Ch. 31 Sec. 2 Pp. 904-908
Watergate Nixon’s reelection committee wanted information about Democratic campaign plans Authorized break-in of DNC headquarters to install “bugs”
A Third-Rate Burglary June 1972 – Police arrest five men who had broken into Democratic Committee headquarters 2 “plumbers” (G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt) were included They were connected to White House and paid with White House funds White House denied any involvement
Investigation Woodward and Bernstein at Washington Post published articles linking break-in to Nixon Judge Sirica oversaw trial One burglar, James McCord, admitted the White House was involved Bernstein and Woodward
A Scandal Unravels 1973 – Senate votes to hold hearings Nixon fired John Dean, White House counsel, and forced aides H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman to resign Archibald Cox was appointed as special prosecutor to look into scandal Sen. Baker and Sen. Ervin
Special Prosecutor for A Scandal Unravels Investigators learned that Nixon secretly taped conversations and demanded the tapes Nixon refused and told attorney general and assistant attorney general to fire Cox, but they refused and resigned (Saturday Night Massacre) Archibald Cox, Special Prosecutor for Watergate Scandal
Meanwhile, Justice Department charged Vice President Spiro Agnew with taking bribes while governor of Maryland He resigns and Gerald Ford is appointed Vice President
The Crisis Deepens House of Representatives began considering impeachment – the constitutional provision to remove a president from office April 1974 – Nixon releases printed copies of some tapes, but they were edited Court ordered him to turn over unedited tapes and Supreme Court upholds it
The Crisis Deepens House Judiciary Committee adopted three articles of impeachment (obstruction of justice, abuse of power, contempt of Congress) Nixon released tapes and they prove he ordered a cover-up
Nixon Resigns Aug. 8, 1974 – Nixon resigns Gerald Ford becomes president and is first one never elected as Pres. or VP Showed checks and balances work Congress passed laws to prevent future abuses Some lose faith in politics
A Time for Healing Ford pardoned Nixon, so he could not be prosecuted Dec. 1974 – we learned CIA had spied on Americans 1975 – FBI reveals they have secret files on citizens Ford and Congress work on new laws and regulations for the agencies
Foreign Affairs/Troubled Economy Inflation and unemployment remained high Products from Europe and Japan began competing with US goods Underemployment – people worked in jobs they were overqualified for OPEC kept oil prices high Relied on Kissinger Agrees with Soviets to limit nuclear weapons Helsinki Accords – pledged to respect human rights and civil liberties Improved relations with China
Ford’s Response Whip Inflation Now (WIN) – voluntary wage and price controls Save money and plant food gardens Wanted to cut government spending, so vetoed spending bills Persuaded Congress to pass tax cut Some improvement, larger deficits