32.2 WATERGATE: NIXON’S DOWNFALL ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: WHAT EVENTS TOGETHER, ARE KNOWN AS THE WATERGATE SCANDAL? WHY WAS THE WATERGATE SCANDAL ONE OF THE.

32.2 WATERGATE: NIXON’S DOWNFALL

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

WHAT EVENTS TOGETHER, ARE KNOWN AS THE WATERGATE SCANDAL?

WHY WAS THE WATERGATE SCANDAL ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS CONSTITUTIONAL CRISES OF AMERICAN HISTORY?

KEY TERMS

Watergate

H.R. Haldeman

John Ehrlichman

John Mitchell

Committee to Reelect the President

Judge John Sirica

Saturday Night Massacre

WATERGATE: KEY DATESJune 17, 1972- Watergate Burglaries

September 1972- Watergate Burglars indicted

January 1973- Burglary Trial begins

March 20, 1973- James McCord’s Letter to Judge John Sirica

April 30, 1973- Resignation of Dean, Haldeman, and Erhlichman

May 1973- Senate Investigation Begins

October 1973- Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox sues to obtain the Nixon tapes

October 20, 1973- Saturday Night Massacre

March 1974- Mitchell, Ehrlichman, and Haldeman indicted

July 24, 1974- Supreme Court orders Nixon to give up un-edited tapes

July 27, 1974- House Judicial Committee votes to impeach Nixon

August 5, 1974- Nixon releases unedited tapes

August 8, 1974- Nixon resigns

NIXON’S WHITE HOUSEImperial Presidency

• Executive Branch of gov. had become to powerful by Nixon’s election• Constitutional checks on executive power went ignored under Nixon

The “President’s Men”

• Trusted group of advisors around Nixon• H.R. Haldeman, John Dean, John Ehrlichman, John Mitchell

1972 Reelection Campaign

• Wanted to win landslide victory- By any means necessary • Democrats nominate George McGovern

H.R. HALDEMAN

JOHN EHLRICHMAN

JOHN MITCHELL

JOHN DEAN

THE CRP & THE PLUMBERSThe “Plumbers”

• Group that was meant to stop leaks from the Nixon Administration to the media

• Also aided Nixon through other- sometimes illegal- ways

CRP- Committee to Re-elect the President

• Headed by John Mitchell • Organization and funding for Nixon’s re-election campaign

CRP

BURGLARY AT WATERGATEJune 17, 1972- 2:30 a.m. DC police arrest five men that had broke into the DNC offices at the Watergate Complex

Men arrested were part of the “plumbers”

Trying to steal information and wiretap the phone lines at the DNC

James McCord, former CIA agent and official in the CRP is one of men arrested

Instead of admitting to it, Nixon decides to cover it up

• Why?

Did not gain much media attention during the 1972 Campaign

Defeats George McGovern in a landslide

WATERGATE COMPLEX

GEORGE MCGOVERN

WATERGATE INVESTIGATIONBurglars Indicted in September 1972- bribed with nearly $500,000 From CRP for their silence

Nixon orders CIA to stop FBI investigation

• National Security Issue

Trial begins in Jan. 1973

• All but McCord plea Guilty• McCord found guilty

McCord hints to Judge John Sirica that high profile members of the Nixon administration knew about break-in

JUDGE JOHN SIRICA

“THERE CAN BE NO WHITEWASH AT THE WHITE HOUSE”

April 30, 1973- Nixon fires Dean, Haldeman, and Ehrlichman

Goes on National TV announces that Attorney General Elliot Richardson will appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Watergate

May 1973- Senate begins investigation into Watergate- led by N.C. Senator Sam Ervin

Members of the Nixon Administration began to testify- and revealed much about the cover-up

SEN. SAM ERVIN (D- N.C.)

“WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT KNOW AND WHEN DID HE KNOW IT?” – SEN. HOWARD BAKER

John Dean- revealed the president had been deeply involved in the cover-up

• John Mitchell quickly denied that claim

Alexander Butterfield- exposed that Nixon had taped almost all of his presidential conversations

The “Nixon Tapes” became subject of a year long battle between the Senate and White House

THE SATURDAY NIGHT MASSACREArchibald Cox, special prosecutor took Nixon to court in October of 1973 over the tapes

Nixon ordered Attorney General Richardson and his deputy to fire Cox – They refused and were fired

Robert Bork did fire Cox, but Cox’s replacement, Leon Jaworski continued investigation

Other Problems:

VP Spiro Agnew is forced to resign for accepting bribes

• Gerald Ford become VP

Revealed Nixon hadn’t paid his taxes- led to famous “I am not a crook” statement

ARCHIBALD COX

NIXON’S FALLMarch 1974- Grand Jury Indicts Haldeman, Mitchell, Ehrlichman, and four other aids on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury.

April 30, 1974- Nixon releases tapes- although edited – does not help Nixon’s public image

• Refused to release unedited tapes

July 24, 1974- Supreme Court orders Nixon to release the tapes

July 27, 1974- House votes on Impeachment

• Charged with Obstruction of Justice, Abuse of Power, and Contempt of Congress

RESIGNATION

August 5, 1974- Nixon releases the unedited tapes- Revealed Nixon knew, and actively covered up the FBI investigation

August 8, 1974- Nixon Resigns- Ford become President

Reflection Question:

• What primary effect do you believe the Watergate scandal had on the American Public?