1. Richard Nixon and the Watergate Scandal
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2. Expanded the Vietnam War into Laos & Cambodia
Kept an “enemies list” of people who crossed him
Orders IRS audits and FBI surveillance of war protestors
Tries to suppress the Pentagon Papers…

3. Daniel Ellsberg, a military analyst releases secret documents on the Vietnam War
Papers showed the government lied about the war and did not believe it could win
Newspapers publish them but Nixon Administration sues to block them

4. White House created a unit to stop leaks
Called the “Plumbers” because they stopped leaks
Burglarized the office of Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist, seeking material to discredit him
G. Gordon Liddy
E. Howard Hunt

5. The “plumbers” turn to political espionage before the 1972 election
Committee for the Re-Election of the President (CREEP) formed
Uses money-laundering, slush funds and dirty tricks to discredit rivals and ensure Nixon’s victory
* The official acronym for the Committee was CRP, however, CREEP became the more widely-used one for obvious reasons.
© Students of History -

6. June 17, men arrested attempting to bug the Democratic Party headquarters inside the Watergate building
One of the men - James McCord - was the head of security for the Republican Party
Nixon campaign denied any involvement

8. Nixon involved in cover up, not the break-in itself
He illegally had the CIA persuade the FBI to stop its investigation
Nixon’s advisors bribe the burglars into silence & coach them on how to lie in court
Incident barely noticed by the public
Nixon won 1972 election by a landslide

9. All defendants either pled guilty or found guilty
Burglars sentenced to long prison terms to encourage their cooperation in upcoming Senate hearings on Watergate

10. Washington Post reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein investigate the story
They believed the White House was involved in the cover up & scandal

11. Senate hearings begin in May 1973
White House counsel John Dean gives testimony that implicates Nixon in the cover-up
Woodward & Bernstein work with a top secret informant who reveals damaging secrets about the White House

12. It’s revealed that Nixon had a secret recording system in the Oval Office
Set up to provide a historical record of his presidency
The tapes could show whether or not Nixon himself was involved in the Watergate cover up

13. May 1973 - Nixon appointed Archibald Cox to be a special prosecutor for the scandal
Cox insisted Nixon release his White House tapes
Nixon fired him on Saturday, October 20, 1973
Began series of resignations and firings known as the “Saturday Night Massacre”

14. Vice President Spiro Agnew accused of evading income taxes and taking bribes
Resigned in October 1973
Completely unrelated to the Watergate Scandal
Successor Gerald Ford confirmed two months later

15. After the “Massacre,” Congress began process of deciding whether to impeach
House Judiciary Committee voted to impeach Nixon
His conviction & removal from office seemed likely
Nixon forced to release the White House recordings

16. Tapes revealed Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate cover-up
On August 5, 1974, Nixon released the White House tapes, with an 18 1/2 minute gap
Tapes revealed Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate cover-up
On August 9, 1974, Nixon became the first President to resign
Gerald Ford sworn in as the new President
* The contents of the missing 18:30 from the recording remains unknown to this day. The gap occurs during a conversation between Nixon and advisor H. R. Haldeman about the Watergate break-in. The White House secretary, Rose Mary Woods, was blamed for the gap. Read about the “Rose Mary Stretch” for how likely it is that this occurred.

17. Ford pardons Nixon for any and all crimes
Over 30 other government officials did go to prison for their role
Woodward and Bernstein won the Pulitzer Prize
Deep distrust of politicians ever since

18. TO RECAP: