Nixon & Watergate During his first term in the White House, President Nixon increasingly behaved as though there should be no limits on his power…he hid vital information from Congress and the public.

Henry Kissinger “Nixon had three goals: to win by the biggest electoral landslide in history; to be remembered as a peacemaker; and to be accepted by the ‘Establishment’ as an equal. He achieved all these objectives by the end of 1972 and the beginning of 1973. And he lost them all two months later-partly because he turned a dream into an obsession.”

Dark Secrets 1971 Nixon ordered his staff to compile an “enemies list” – critics who opposed his policies After the leak of the Pentagon papers, Nixon told his aids “Do whatever has to be done to stop these leaks…I want it done, whatever the cost.” White House organized a secret unit called “the plumbers” made up of former CIA and FBI agents The group was ordered to stop leaks and to carry out a variety of illegal actions in the name of “national security”

Ensuring Re-election June 1972 – five men were caught breaking into the office of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in the Watergate office and apartment complex in Washington D.C. Carrying wiretap equipment and other spying devices These men were being paid by Nixon’s campaign organization, the Committee to Re-elect the President (CRP)

White House Denies any link to the break in, calling it a “third-rate burglary” Washington Post reporters kept digging for the truth Bob Woodworth & Carl Bernstein High level source known as “Deep Throat” informed the reporters that White House officials and the CRP had hired 50 agents to sabotage the Democrats’ chance in the 1972 election

The Investigation Despite the Watergate break in, Nixon won re-election in 1972 by a landslide Spring of 1973, both the executive and legislative branches are investigating the break in A witness (former CIA agent) linked the cover up to “the very highest levels of the White House”…breaks the case wide open James McCord

Biggest Bombshells May 1973 – live television coverage of the Senate hearing begins Millions of Americans watch senators grill witnesses and compile evidence of official misconduct Several top White House officials convicted and sent to jail But still a question of “what did the president know and when did he know it?” John Dean, former White House attorney…the president had been directly involved in the cover up.

The Nixon Resignation Nixon denies the charges…another witness testifies that Nixon had secretly tape recorded his conversations in the White House.

The White House Tapes Investigators believed that the tapes would reveal the truth about Watergate Justice Department’s special prosecutor, Archibald Cox, demanded the president turn over the tapes…Nixon refuses Cites “executive privilege,” he claimed that releasing the tapes would endanger national security

The White House Tapes In the middle of the controversy over the tapes, Vice President, Spiro Agnew, is charged with tax evasion and is forced to resign Nixon nominates Gerald Ford for Vice President

Saturday Night Massacre Federal Judge orders Nixon to turn over the tapes Again…Nixon refuses! Tells Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire Cox…both Richardson and the Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus resign Task fell to Solicitor General Robert Bork…complies Outrages the public and led for calls to impeach “People have the right to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I am not a crook”

Final Days With the release of the Nixon tapes, Americans discovered the truth… Nixon had directed the Watergate cover-up and had authorized illegal activities House Judiciary Committee recommended impeachment charges be brought against him August 8, 1974 – Nixon tells the nation “I shall resign the presidency effective at noon tomorrow.”

August 9, 1974 Vice President Gerald Ford sworn in as 38th president Nominated Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York as Vice President The first time in history, both president and vice president held office by appointment, not election.

Pardon & Clemency Ford’s popularity begins to decline Grants Nixon a full pardon Many people suspected that the pardon had been agreed on in advance in exchange for Nixon’s resignation – Ford denied it. Offered clemency or official forgiveness to Vietnam draft evaders Reaffirm their allegiance to the U.S. and perform two years of public service Offends both veterans and draft dodgers