32.2 WATERGATE: NIXON’S DOWNFALL ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: WHAT EVENTS TOGETHER, ARE KNOWN AS THE...
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Transcript of 32.2 WATERGATE: NIXON’S DOWNFALL ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: WHAT EVENTS TOGETHER, ARE KNOWN AS 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
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
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 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
“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
“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
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