WATERGATE. What Was Watergate? A Hotel-Office-Condominium- Shop Complex? A Third Rate Burglary? An Abuse of Presidential Power? A Constitutional Crisis?

WATERGATE

What Was Watergate?

• A Hotel-Office-Condominium-Shop Complex?

• A Third Rate Burglary?• An Abuse of Presidential

Power? • A Constitutional Crisis?• All of the Above and Worse?

The Watergate Complex

Richard Nixon

“I AM the President”

Anti-War Protestersand Freaks

The “Berlin Wall”John Erlichman and H.R. HaldemanBerlin Wall?-German last names-isolated Nixon from other advisors

The Pentagon Papers and Daniel Ellsberg- classified documents on activity in Vietnam- Ellsberg get them published in an “article series” in the NY Times

Formation of the Plumbers- group to stop leaks of classified information (response to Pentagon Papers)- branched into a group involved in the illegal activities involving Watergate

Committee to Reelect the President- CRP

(Creep)-CREEP used $500,000 in funds raised to reelect President Nixon to pay legal expenses for the five Watergate burglars.

The Election of 1972

Nixon’s Still the One

Still the One

Board Game for Real

McGovern-Eagleton Ticket

“1000%”(referencing McGovern’s support

for Eagleton)

- Eagleton had suffered from clinical depression in the 60s.- He accepted the offer to withdrawal from the race

New Running Mate:Sargent Shriver

(brother-in-law of JFK)

McGovern’s 4 A’s• Amnesty • Abortion• Acid (LSD)• Appeasement

Source- Eagleton. He told a reporter that McGovern was for amnesty, abortion, and legalization of pot.

“Third Rate Burglary”Ron Ziegler White House Press

Secretary

Election Results

• McGovern-Shriver 1 state( Massachusetts) and the District of Columbia; 17 electoral votes37.5% = 29,170,774 popular votes

• Nixon-Agnew 49 states; 521 electoral votes

60.7%= 47,165,234 popular votes

Ultimately, Eagleton killed McGovern's political career. He would still have likely lost the election, but not by such a landslide.

May 28, 1972:The First Break In

June 17, 1972June 17, 1972The 2nd Break-InThe 2nd Break-In

Caught! (and they made several attempts

before this.)• During the 2nd burglary five men are apprehended

inside the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate building

• During the arrest, they implicated themselves on other counts and charges by voluntarily telling investigators about having committed a "first break-in."

Why did some say they did it?• They believed the Cuban government was giving

money to the Democratic campaign

The Burglars

Security Guard Frank Wills (not Forest Gump)

The Washington PostCan they crack the case?

Woodward and Bernstein

All the President’s Men

• A book published by Woodward and Bernstein about the truth behind the Watergate Scandal.

• The source who revealed it all…- Deep Throat

*name came from a play on a pornographic movie of the time and journalism term “deep background”,

which is used for information provided by a secret source.

Who was Deep Throat?

• William Mark Felt Sr.

• Kept the secret for 30 years- revealed May, 2005

“WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT KNOW AND

WHEN DID HE KNOW IT?” Howard Baker

Evidence?

The Battle for the Tapes

Nixon Refuses to Give Up Tapes. He claims…

•Separation of Powers•Executive Privilege•Confidentiality •National Security

Judge John J. Sirica“Maximum John”

(presided over the trial of the Watergate burglars)

“Saturday Night Massacre”October 20, 1973

• Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox appointed to carry out Watergate investigation by Attorney General Elliott Richardson in May, 1973

• Cox subpoenaed Nixon to turn over Oval office tapes.• Nixon refused, at first• Then offers the “Stennis Compromise” but Cox

refused.• President Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliott

Richardson to fire Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox. Richardson resigned, instead.

• Nixon then ordered Deputy Attorney General William Ruckleshaus to fire Cox. Ruckleshaus resigned, instead.

• Nixon then ordered the Solicitor General/Acting Attorney General, Robert Bork, to dismiss Cox. He does.• In November, a Federal District Judge ruled this firing illegal

18 1/2 Minute Gap:

Nixon’s VP (Agnew) Resigns October, 1973

The New Vice-President

5 Articles of Impeachment

• Abuse of PowerAbuse of Power• Contempt of CongressContempt of Congress• Conspiracy to Obstruct Conspiracy to Obstruct

JusticeJustice• ““Secret Bombing” of Secret Bombing” of

CambodiaCambodia• Income Tax EvasionIncome Tax Evasion

Impeachment Lawyer For Judiciary Committee

Smoking Gun

• June 23, 1972 White House tape• Nixon orders FBI to call off

investigation of Watergate • Claims Watergate a CIA covert

operation• Other tapes show Nixon approved

of payment of “hush money”

U.S. v Nixon(U.S. Wins)

August 8, 1974 :“I have never been a quitter”

White House Farewell:“My Mother Was A

Saint”

Our Long National Nightmare is Over

Full and Free Pardon

“Lessons” of Watergate?

• Did the “System” really work?• To what extent was “Justice”

served?• How effective are campaign

finance reform laws?• Is the President above the

law?