The Watergate Scandal: A Presidential Crisis
The Watergate scandal of 1972 involved a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters by members of the Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP), setting off a chain of events that led to President Nixon's resignation. The cover-up, investigations, Senate hearings, demands for tapes, and Nixon's eventual resignation marked a significant period in US history.
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Presentation Transcript
I. Crisis in the Presidency Election of 1972 CREEP committee to re-elect the President Raised campaign money and oversaw Nixon s campaign June 1972, CREEP employees were caught breaking into the DNC offices at the Watergate building. Intent was to bug the office to gather information Plumbers Howard Hunt, G. Gordon Liddy, and James McCord Nixon won the election over George McGovern with 60% of the vote
The Cover-Up Reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post uncovered evidence of a link between White House staff and the break-in. Nixon ordered AG to appoint Archibald Cox as special prosecutor to investigate the case James McCord reports hush money was involved to conceal White House involvement April 1973, Nixon forces aides to resign May 1973, Senate held hearings on the break-in and other campaign violations of 1972. The hearings revealed Nixon recorded oval office conversations. Investigators demanded the tapes be turned over
II. The President Answers August 1973, VP Spiro Agnew is accused of tax evasion and resigns. Gerald Ford is appointed VP Senate demands the tapes; Nixon denies involvement and claims executive privilege for not providing tapes. October 1973, Appeals Court rules the tapes to be turned over. Court states, the President is not above the law s commands.
Saturday Night Massacre, October 20,1973 Nixon offers summaries of tapes to Cox Cox demands actual tapes Nixon orders AG to fire Cox; AG and Asst. AG refuse and resign Robert Bork firs Cox The event provoked a wave of protest against Nixon. The NY Times stated, The President should resign.
March 1974, 8 former White House aides are indicted by grand jury for conspiring a cover-up April 1974, Nixon releases heavily edited tape transcripts with a key section missing from June 1972. Many believe the missing section indicated Nixon was involved in the Watergate scandal July 1974, the House Committee recommends impeachement July 1974, Supreme Court denies executive privilege forcing Nixon to hand over the tapes August 1974, Nixon release 3 tapes; among them the smoking gun proving Nixon ordered the cover-up August 8, 1974, Nixon becomes first president to resign from office.
