Watergate: Watergate Scandal and President Nixon Essay

Submitted By jcooks08
Words: 1789
Pages: 8
Open Document
The Watergate Scandal has turned out to be a very complicated series of crimes committed by President Richard Nixon and his staff, who were attempting to spy on and harass political opponents, accepting illegal campaign contributions, and later tried to cover up their own misdeeds. Now a term synonymous with corruption and scandal, over a period of about 2 and a half years, the Watergate scandal persisted into a puzzle that required many twists and turns that ultimately led to the president’s resignation, amidst threats of impeachment. On June 17, 1972, The Washington Post printed a story reading, “5 Held in Plot to Bug Democrats’ Office Here” The five men, one of whom previously worked for the CIA, were arrested after breaking into the Democratic National Committee offices, which were located in a office complex known as Watergate. The men were caught trying to bug the offices of the plush Watergate, by “three plain-clothes officers of the metropolitan police department in a sixth floor office…where the Democratic national Committee occupies the entire floor.” At the time of the burglary there was no explanation as to why they would want to do this. Questions also lingered, “whether or not they were working for any other individuals or organizations.” The men were captured with lock picks and door jimmies, cameras, and many rolls of unexposed film for taking pictures. The FBI was brought in to investigate the burglaries. On June 19, 1972, News was released that one of the burglars was the salaried security coordinator for President Nixon’s reelection committee. “The suspect, former CIA employee…” also held “…a separate contract to provide security services to the Republican National Committee…” The White House still appeared to have no connection to the burglaries. Even releasing statements during a press conference, seemingly appalled at the actions of the men, and denying any involvement of the White House Staff. “The public took Nixon’s word and dropped the questioning.” By October of 1972, “FBI agents [had] established that the Watergate incident stemmed from a massive campaign of political spying and sabotage…” handled on behalf of the reelection efforts of President Nixon. It had even been directed by officials in the White House and the Committee for the Re-Election of the President. During the investigation, it was uncovered that “hundreds of thousands of dollars in Nixon campaign contributions had been set aside to pay for as extensive undercover campaign aimed at discrediting…Democratic presidential candidates and disrupting their campaigns.” The recent release of the Pentagon Papers to the press, seemed to be part of what was bothering Nixon. He was very angry about their release, and evermore concerned about having enough votes to win the upcoming election of 1972. Even with the pending criminal activity, and the White House’s questionable involvement, Nixon won the election by a landslide, the following month. 1973, remained eventful, as January opened with the convictions of seven men, in the Watergate incident. Two of them being “former officials of President Nixon’s re-election committee…” were found guilty of conspiracy, burglary and wiretapping. “Despite repeated attempts…to find out if anyone else…was involved in the conspiracy…”the defendants did not mention any other persons. The judge presiding over the case was not convinced, neither were reporters. The Senate however, had set up a committee, to continue the investigation into the White House’s involvement. By June of 1973, the case was getting complicated as many of Nixon’s council members had been fired or resigned behind the scandal, as it continued to unfold. And then testimony was released by a former presidential counsel, confirming that President Nixon was privy to information regarding the burglaries. The informant alleged that the president was not only aware of, but involved in the Watergate cover-up;
Show More

Related Documents: Watergate: Watergate Scandal and President Nixon Essay

President Nixon And The Watergate Scandal

think of president Nixon the Watergate scandal comes to mind. The Watergate scandal is what caused president Nixon to resign from being president because according to history. com, “Nixon ran for reelection and he won in a landslide”. The Watergate scandal took place on June 17, 1972 in an office building located in the Watergate building. The burglars were caught trying to wiretap phones and they were taking secret documents. The big question that is was president Nixon involved in the watergate scandal…

Words 286 - Pages 2

A Description of the Watergate Scandal Essays

Abstract The Watergate scandal has everything that presidential scandal can have. Nixon disrespected the presidency by lying to the country and abusing his power. Watergate scandal is one of the worst presidential scandals in the history of United States. It is the story of lies and corruption in the government. Due to the involvement of President in this scandal, President Nixon has to resign his presidency in the middle of his second term of his presidency. Media had played an important role in…

Words 1127 - Pages 5

Watergate Scandal

chose to make different choices. Watergate was a Greek Tragedy. The biggest political scandal of the 20th century to enshroud America, led by the former leader of the free world, President Richard Nixon. This essay will investigate: to what extent did the Watergate Scandal contribute to the disestablishment of the Nixon Administration? Richard Nixon was elected as the 37th President of the United States in 1969 after successfully serving as Vice-President under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. During…

Words 567 - Pages 3

Richard Nixon's Watergate Scandal

Richard Nixon was President from 1969 until 1974 and he was the only President to quite the office because what was going on. He was picked to for the house of respresentive. The watergate scandal was a huge big deal in the White House with the president right so Nixon tried to help through out all the problems that was going on and so did the senators to. You might also want to know that president nixon was awesome president well that's what i think he was the person that gave money or what…

Words 715 - Pages 3

The Watergate Scandal

Watergate Scandal The Watergate Scandal was one of the biggest scandals to rock the US. It occurred in the 1970s and changed the way the general public perceived politicians. The Watergate scandal was a United States political scandal which took place in the 1970?s. It was as a result of the break-in to the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. This led to the indictment of several of Nixon's advisors and the resignation of the President…

Words 609 - Pages 3

Media Influence On All President's Men

around the infamous Watergate Scandal and focuses on two reporters from Washington Post who are trying to write a story on the group of men who attempted to break into the Democratic headquarters (“All President’s Men,” n.d). All President’s Men raises important points not only about the Watergate scandal but also on how the media influences politics through ideas such as the constitutional role of the media in the American political system, the role of the media in the Watergate scandal and resignation…

Words 977 - Pages 4

Analysis: The Watergate Scandal

in the Canadian Senate scandal, which follows the path of Watergate. Richard Nixon, a name no longer praised among the American people was forced to resign as President of the United States of America; a disgrace to a nation’s democratic values in the wake of Watergate. The Watergate scandal occurred in 1970, but official news broke in June 1972 after a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate office complex in Washington D.C. President Nixon’s administration…

Words 985 - Pages 4

Iran-Contra Affair and Anita Hill Essay

to resign due to the Watergate Scandal and what was about to take place. H.R. Haldeman was responsible for destroying evidence for the Watergate Scandal. The White house found evidence that H.R. Haldeman and President Nixon that they erased 18 minutes of tape of the Watergate break-in. John D. Ehrlichman resigned because of the actions that he chose in the Watergate. What he did was have direct part in the payoff of five burglars and two others that was part of the Watergate break in. The final person…

Words 457 - Pages 2

Essay about Watergate Scandal

• Watergate Scandal- a political scandal involving abuse of power and bribery and obstruction of justice; led to the resignation of Richard Nixon in 1974 • Committee to reelect the president (CREEP)- The Committee to Re-elect the President, abbreviated as CRP, later nicknamed CREEP, was a fund-raising organization for President Nixon's 1972 election campaign. Many of its members were later indicted with criminal charges relating to their actions within the CRP. • Smoking Gun Tape- This is the transcript…

Words 395 - Pages 2

A Political Scandal: The Watergate

The Watergate Scandal The term Watergate is known as a series of secretive, because it had often illegal, activities that were constructed by the people of the Nixon Administration. Some activities include ordering investigations on political groups and people by using the FBI and CIA as weapons. The Watergate scandal was a political scandal that happened in the 1970’s, involving five men who broke into the Democratic National Committee, or DNC, at the Watergate Office Complex in Washington…

Words 939 - Pages 4