Page 39 - All About History - Issue 29-15
P. 39
Bluffer’s Guide
THE WATERGATE SCANDAL
What was it?
The Watergate scandal began with the arrest of
five men for breaking into the Democratic Party
headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington
DC. What at first seemed to be a minor crime escalated
when the FBI connected cash found on the burglars to
funds used by the Committee for the Re-Election of the
President (CRP), the official organisation that campaigned
on behalf of President Richard Nixon. The president
denied any wrongdoing, but subsequent evidence revealed
that Nixon and his staff were aware of the break-in
almost as soon as it happened and sought to hamper the
investigation. Conversations that took place in the Oval
Office had been found on a tape-recording system from
the White House, but were only released after a series of
court battles during which Nixon tried to avoid handing
them over. The public opinion and political support for
the seemingly corrupt president plummeted upon hearing
their contents. Facing near-certain impeachment and
conviction by Congress, Nixon resigned the presidency.
Why did it happen?
The true purpose of the break-in has never been
revealed, although some of the burglars later said they
were hoping to find evidence that Cuban communists
were helping to fund the Democratic Party. However, the
break-in was just one example of a range of ‘dirty tricks’
employed by Nixon and his aides, including bugging the
offices and phones of political opponents. That alone was
enough to harm the president’s reputation, but the real
damage was done when Nixon was implicated in attempts
to cover up the scandal by ordering the CIA to block the
FBI investigation on the
grounds of national security.
Were it not for the tenacious
investigations by the courts
and media – in particular
by Bob Woodward and Carl
Bernstein of the Washington
Post and prosecutor
Nixon hid his feelings well, looking the Archibald Cox – the cover up
picture of cheerful defiance as he left might have succeeded.
the White House for the final time
Who was involved?
Richard Nixon
1913-94
Forever tainted by Watergate, Nixon’s
popularity plunged as evidence of his part
in political dirty tricks came out.
Mark Felt
1913-2008
KnownforyearsonlyasDeepThroat,the
5 AUGUST 1974 9 AUGUST 1974
associatedirectoroftheFBIwasthesource
that tipped off the Washington Post.
The ‘smoking gun’ With pressure
tape is released mounting on him
– an Oval Office and impeachment John Mitchell
recording looking inevitable, 1913-88
indicating that Nixon resigns the DirectoroftheCRP,Mitchelloversaw
Nixon was involved presidency and
from the early days is replaced by Vice many of the dirty tricks and later served 19 © Corbis
of the cover up. President Gerald Ford. months in prison.
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