Nixon nd W terg te

The Election of 1968

the 1968 election, but the combine total of for Nixon an Wallace in icate a shift to the right in American politics.

optimism an possibility an en e in isunity an

assassinations an crises ero e public trust in a backlash against liberal movements an the Democratic

� Richar Nixon only narrowly wonpopular votes

� The 1960's began as an era of istrust.

� The Vietnam war an a series of government an pro uce party.

The Election of 1968

� Nixon campaigne as a champion of the "silent majority," the har working Americans who pai taxes, i not emonstrate, an esire a restoration of "law an or er.”

� He vowe to restore respect for the rule of law, reconstitute the stature of America, ispose of ineffectual social programs, an provi e strong lea ership to en the turmoil of the 1960's.

D niel Ellsberg nd the Pent gon

P pers � Daniel Ellsberg was an employee of

the Defense Department who leake a classifie assessment of the Vietnam War in 1971.

� The 7,000 page ocument came to be known as the Pentagon Papers.

� They cast oubt on the justification for entry into the war an reveale that senior government officials ha serious misgivings about the war.

� When the New Yo k Times an Washington Post began to publish the Pentagon Papers, the Nixon A ministration sue them.

� The Supreme Court rule that the papers coul continue to publish the ocuments.

The White House Plumbers

� After the release of the Pentagon Papers, the White House create a unit to ensure internal security.

� This unit was calle the Plumbers because they stoppe leaks.

� It was later reveale that Nixon’s omestic a visor John Ehrlichman knew of an approve the plan.

Chuck Colson

material to iscre it him.

� In 1971 they burglarize the office of Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist, seeking

Howar Hunt G. Gor on Li y

James McCor

The W terg te Bre k-in

� When initial polls showe Nixon in the Election of 1972, the Plumbers turne their activities to political espionage.

� On 17 June 1972, 5 men were arreste while attempting to bug the hea quarters of the Democratic Party insi e the Watergate buil ing in Washington D.C.

� One of the men arreste , James McCor , was the hea of security for the Republican Party.

� The Nixon campaign enie any involvement.

Woodw rd, Bernstein nd the

W shington Post

Watergate came to public attention largely through the work of Bob Woo war an Carl Bernstein, investigative reporters from the Washington Post. Despite enormous political pressure, Post e itor Ben Bra lee, publisher Katherine Graham, Woo war an Bernstein, ai e by an enigmatic source nickname “Deepthroat” kept the story in the public consciousness until

�

�

Nixon’s resignation.

$25,000 check from a Republican onor that was laun ere throughMexican bank an eposite in the account of Watergate burglar Bernar Barker.

Later it was iscovere that Former

Election of 1972: W terg te Enters

the Nixon C mp ign � The break-in was eventually tie to the

Nixon reelection campaign through a

a

� Attorney General John Mitchell, hea of Nixon’s “Committee to Re-Elect the Presi ent,” (CREEP) controlle a secret fun for political espionage.

� Mitchell woul later go to prison for his role in the scan al

The Election of 1972

Watergate, which ha not yet reache the won by the largest margin in history to that point.

� Despite the growing stain of Presi ent, Nixon

The W terg te Investig tions: Judge

John Siric � Watergate came to be investigate

by a Special Prosecutor, a Senate committee, an by the ju ge in the original break-in case.

� Ju ge Sirica refuse to believe that the burglars ha acte alone.

� In March 1973, efen ant James W. McCor sent a letter to Sirica confirming that it was a conspiracy.

� Sirica’s investigation transforme Watergate from the story of a “thir -rate burglary” to a scan al reaching the highest points in government.

Sen te Investig tion nd the Ov l

Office T pes � The Senate began hearings into

Watergate in May 1973.

� The hearings were televise in their entirety.

� They focuse on when the Presi ent knew of the break-in.

� In June 1973, former White House legal counsel John Dean elivere evastating testimony that implicate Nixon from the earliest ays of Watergate.

Sen te Investig tion nd the Ov l

Office T pes

The A ministration was eager to iscre it Dean an his testimony so it began to release factual challenges to his account.

When former White House ai e Alexan er Butterfiel was aske about the source of the White House information, he reveale the existence of an automatic taping system that Nixon ha secretly installe in the Oval Office.

These tapes woul become the focus of the investigation.

�

�

�

The Smoking Gun T pes

� When the Supreme Court force Nixon to surren er the tapes.

� Nixon was implicate from the earliest ays of the cover-up: � authorizing the payment of hush

money

� attempting to use the CIA to interfere with the FBI investigation.

� One tape has an 18 ½ minute gap.

� Nixon’s secretary Rosemary Woo s emonstrate how she coul have ina vertently erase the tape, but no one bought it.

� “The smoking gun tapes,” were release in August 1974, just after the House Ju iciary Committee approve Articles of Impeachment against Nixon.

The S turd y Night M ss cre

� The A ministration reache an agreement with the Senate Watergate Committee that its Chairman woul be allowe to listen to tapes an provi e a transcript to the Committee an to Special Prosecutor Archibal Cox.

� The eal broke own when Cox refuse to accept the transcripts in place of the tapes.

� Since the Special Prosecutor is an employee of the Justice Department, Nixon or ere Attorney General Elliot Richar son to fire Cox.

Archibal Cox

The S turd y Night M ss cre

� When Richar son refuse , he was fire .

� Nixon or ere Deputy Attorney General William D. Ruckelshaus to fire Cox .

� When he refuse , he was fire .

� Nixon then or ere Solicitor General Robert Bork (who was later nominate for the Supreme Court by Reagan) to fire Cox an he complie .

� The Washington Post reporte on the “Satur ay Night Massacre.”

Robert Bork

Nixon Resigns

� On 27 July 1974, the House Ju iciary Committee approve Articles of Impeachment against Nixon.

� The House was to vote on the matter soon.

� Nixon conce e that impeachment in the House was likely, but he believe that the Senate vote to remove him woul fail.

� On 5 August 1974, when the “smoking gun tape” became public, a elegation from the Republican National Committee tol Nixon that he woul not survive the vote in the Senate.

� On 9 August 1974, Richar Nixon became the first American presi ent to resign.

W terg te Sc nd l

� Congress starte the process of impeachment against the Presi ent. YouTube - July 25, 1974 to July 25, 2008 - What's Change ??? P2

� Nixon knew he lost support from Congress.

� ResignsYouTube - Presi ent Richar Nixon -

A ress Announcing Resignation

� Presi ent For par ons himYouTube - For

Par ons Nixon - September 8, 1974

Afterm th

went to prison for their role in Watergate.

Presi ent Geral For gave Nixon a full par on.

the Pulitzer Prize.

2 books, All the P esident’s Men an The Final Days.

a apte into an Oscar winning film.

was kept secret until W. Mark Felt unmaske himself in

For announcing the par on

� More than 30 government officials

� Richar Nixon was not one of them.

� In September 1974,

� Woo war an Bernstein won

� They collaborate on

� In 1976 All the P esident’s Men was

� The i entity of Deepthroat2005.

Cit tions

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