The Watergate Scandal. Objective Examine the circumstances surrounding the Watergate scandal and the impact on the presidency.

The Watergate Scandal

Objective

Examine the circumstances surrounding the Watergate scandal and the impact on the presidency.

Watergate

• Hotel/Office building in Washington, DC.

• 1972: ___________ Party national headquarters

• June, ‘72: Break-in

Republican _____________________________________________ (CREEP)

• Raised money, etc. to get Nixon re-elected.

• Former Attorney General John Mitchell was director

The ___________________

• _____ men caught breaking into Democratic offices at Watergate.

• Plumbers “stopped leaks” to press, spied on enemies, etc.• Plumbers had ties to _______________________• Most famous are G. Gordon Liddy Howard Hunt

Evidence against CREEP• Plumber had little black book with ____________ phone number.

•Plumbers were paid $10,000. Money traced back to CREEP.

•Attorneys (employed by ____________) showed up to defend the Plumbers despite the fact that the Plumbers hadn’t made a phone call yet.

Nixon orders cover-up

• Nixon meets with key advisors about Watergate next day.

• Nixon orders __________ to cover-up Watergate break-in.

• Nixon publicly announces _________ had nothing to do with break-in.

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Senate Investigation begins

• 7/72: Senate asks ____ to investigate the break-in.

• Nixon orders two of his aides to block the CIA investigation.

• Nixon Crime #1: __________________

Washington Post

• __________________ investigate break-in.

• Publish stories.• Main Source:

__________________– 2008: Mark Felt of the FBI

• “Uncover the cover-up and Nixon’s involvement.

Watergate Uncovered•Nixon wins 1972 Presidency in a landslide.

•Dean giving __________ to people to keep quiet. Promises __________________________________________ if caught.

•March, 1973: Senate says that there is enough evidence of a cover-up but cannot link ________________________ to the cover-up.

•Big break comes at the trial of the “Plumbers”.

Plumbers Trial• Burglars (Plumbers)

sentenced to 6-40 years.• James McCord, a

Plumber, names people in the White House who are involved in cover-up to save himself, including John Dean.

• Nixon orders those mentioned by McCord to ____________________.

John Dean makes deal•Nixon trying to distance himself from cover-up and put blame on _____________________________________.

•Nixon fires Dean. Dean makes deal and testifies against Nixon.

The Turning Point

• Nixon secretary tells of Nixon __________________conversations.

• Nixon still has tapes that tell of his involvement in cover-up

The Nixon Tapes

• Oct. ‘73: Nixon ordered to hand over tapes to prosecutor.

• Nixon refuses citing _________________ and ____________________.

• He turns in typed, edited summaries instead.

Talks of Impeachment

• 1,000,000 letters sent to Congress demanding Nixon’s resignation or impeachment.

•11/73: Nixon turns over ______ tapes. There is 18 minutes missing out of one that talks specifically about Watergate. Nixon says it was _______________________________________________________.

•11/73: House of Reps. begins hearings to decide if they will _______________ Nixon on Obstruction of Justice.

• Further investigations show there are a total of ____ tapes (not just 9) made after Watergate break-in and Nixon kept them all.

Battle with House

• Nixon ordered to turn over all tapes to House of Reps.

• Nixon refuses. Sends edited transcripts.

• House approved 3 articles of impeachment: _______________________________________________________________

Nixon Problems get worse•5/74: ____________________ orders Nixon to release those tapes.

•Tapes show that Nixon did indeed order a cover-up and obstructed justice.

•Will face impeachment charges and possibly charges as a civilian.

Problems with IRS

• __________________ became Vice-President in 1973 after ________________ had resigned due to tax fraud.

• IRS announced Nixon owed ____________ in back taxes.

Nixon Resigns

• Watch Part 9• 8/6/74: Nixon resigns

before he can be impeached.

• Nixon never admitted wrong doing.

President Gerald Ford

• Ford becomes president after Nixon resigns.

• Ford gives Nixon a _________________, ending Watergate controversy.