Nixon Flashcards
Who leaked the Pentagon Papers, what was his background and why did he do it?
Daniel Ellsburg, pentagon employee, to reveal the duplicity in government concerning Vietnam
What was the purpose of the Watergate break-in?
to find out political and campaign secrets of the democrats.
Who paid the men who broke into the Democratic offices at the Watergate complex?
Attorney General John Mitchell
What does John Dean accuse President Nixon of?
covering up the crime.
Who chaired the Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities?
North Carolina Senator Sam Ervin
Who finally fired Cox?
Solicitor General Robert Bork
Besides Richardson, who else resigns during the night of the “Saturday Night Massacre”?
William Ruckelshaus
What office did Alexander Butterfield have and what information did he give?
Deputy Assistant, the taping system.
What starts debate on impeaching the President?
The Saturday Night Massacre
Who did Nixon defeat in the 1972 election?
George McGovern
Who was Richard Kleindienst and what was he convicted of?
Nixon’s Attorney General, failing to testify accurately before the Senate
What troublesome areas were detailed in the Pentagon Papers?
history of deceptions, policy disagreements, and outright lies.
Why did Spiro Agnew, the Vice President, resign?
He was convicted of tax evasion.
What two White House Aides were arrested?
G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt
What did Nixon’s Press Secretary, Ron Ziegler call the Watergate break-in?
“A Third-Rate Burglary”
What were “the Pentagon Papers”?
the top-secret history of American involvement in Vietnam
Who ordered the compilation of the Pentagon Papers?
Robert McNamara
What were the two reasons for Nixon’s concern about the leak of the Pentagon Papers?
That if things could be leaked that easily, then anything could be leaked. The papers fueled Anti-war sentiments.
What was the reason that President Nixon refused to release the White House tapes?
They held incriminating information.
What judge was in charge of the Watergate break-in case?
Judge John Sirica
What was Howard Hunt’s wife carrying when she died?
10,000 dollars of “hush money”.
What was missing when Nixon turned over the tapes to investigators?
18.5 minutes of recording.
What Attorney General was fired when he refused to fire Archibald Cox?
Elliot Richardson
Who is L. Patrick Gray and what was his role in the cover-up of the break-in?
Acting head of the FBI. He turned over FBI files on Watergate to the White House.
What probably was the chief reason why Gerald Ford was defeated by Jimmy Carter?
He pardoned Nixon.
What is “Watergate”?
The scandal involving a break in on the DNC headquarters in the Watergate Hotel/ Office complex by members of the Committee to Reelect the President.
What happened to the following people:
a. Nixon-he was disgraced and had to resign from office.
b. Liddy- sentenced to 20 years in prison.
c. Hunt- sentenced to 2.5-8 years in prison plus a $10,000 fine.
d. Mitchell- jailed and disbarred
e. Haldeman- served brief jail term.
f. Ehrlichman- served brief jail term.
g. Dean-served four month jail term.
Who replaced Spiro Agnew as Vice-President?
Gerald Ford.
What cost did Bork’s action to fire Cox have for Robert Bork?
He was rejected by the senate when Ronald Reagan nominated him to the Supreme Court
Who was the Watergate Special Prosecutor?
Archibald Cox.
Who is John Mitchell and what was his role in the break-in?
Financial support
Who is John Mitchell and what was his role in the break-in?
Financial support
In place of the tapes, what does Richard Nixon offer?
A synopsis of them.
What were three effects of the release of the Pentagon Papers?
grew the antiwar sentiments, caused the administration to become nervous, helped begin the development of the plumbers
What was the background of Hunt and Liddy?
Hunt- former CIA agent, Liddy- ex FBI agent.
Who is Daniel Ellsberg?
Rand corporation analyst.
Who replaced Gerald Ford as Vice-President after Nixon resignes and Ford becomes President?
Nelson Rockefeller.
Who was damaged the most by the Pentagon Papers?
Lyndon B. Johnson
Name the five categories of crimes in the Watergate affair.
- BREAKING AND ENTERING
- ILLEGAL CONTRIBUTIONS 3. DIRTY TRICKS
- COVER-UP/OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
- MISCELLANEOUS OFFENSES AND REVELATIONS
What is the “smoking gun” of the investigation?
The transcript of the conversation with Haldeman in which he ordered the FBI not to investigate the case any further.
Why did Richard Nixon want to fire Archibald Cox?
Because he would not consent to receiving only a synopsis of the tapes but wanted the tapes themselves.
How many men were arrested on the night of June 17, 1972?
five men.
How did the White House try to stop publication of the Pentagon Papers?
bullying the Times, espionage charges, court injunction to block the papers.
What were the positions of the following people?
a. H.R. Haldeman- Chief of Staff.
b. John Ehrlichman- Domestic Affairs Assistant.
c. John Dean III- Presidential Counsel.
Who was appointed as Special Prosecutor after the firing of Archibald Cox?
Leon Jaworski
