Watergate Scandal

Question 1

Background- CREEP

Answer 1

1972, established CREEP (Committee to Re-Elect the President). Run by Attorney-General John Mitchell, involved in criminal surveillance, political subversion, illegal fundraising.

Question 2

Background- CREEP Break-Ins

Answer 2

Organised two break-ins to DNC headquarters in the Watergate building in Washington DC
2nd, 17th June 1972 was discovered, 5 burglars arrested (James McCord + 5 Cuban Americans) + Gordon Liddy and Howard Hunt, WH aides, building opposite.

Question 3

Background- Nixon’s Involvement

Answer 3

Complained to aides Democrats had been doing it for years- ‘everyone’s trying to bug everybody else, it’s politics’
FBI traced criminal activity to CREEP through laundered money, Nixon discussed using CIA to block them with Chief of Staff Bob Haldeman (23rd June 1972)
Tried to pay burglars $430,000 to keep quiet, Jan 1973, burglars convicted.

Question 4

Senate Investigations

Answer 4

Nixon re-elected in 1972
January 1973, McCord admitted he was paid to keep quiet.
February 1973, Senate establish bipartisan Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities
Held 37 days of hearings, TV- over 300 hours of testimony
Nixon refused to admit involvement- ‘I am not a crook’

Question 5

Watergate Tapes- Context

Answer 5

White House official disclosed all Oval Office conversations were taped
Nixon denied involvement, sacked 2 Watergate special prosecutors + Spiro Agnew resigned over tax evasion
Approval ratings sank to 17%, his own finances investigated.

Question 6

Watergate Tapes- Nixon’s Actions

Answer 6

Nixon claimed tapes were his own property, Supreme Court ruled against him
Released edited versions of tapes + transcripts in April 1974
Threatened with impeachment

Question 7

Watergate Tapes- Reasons for Impeachment Threat

Answer 7

Obstruction of justice- participation in cover-up
Abuse of power- Use of FBI, CIA, and IRS against political enemies
Contempt of Congress- Ignoring requests for information 27 times, impounding money they had allocated

Question 8

Watergate Tapes- Impeachment

Answer 8

July 1974- Supreme Court ruled he had to release all tapes (USA vs Richard Nixon)
Tapes revealed he had ordered cover-up, House of Representatives moved to impeach him
House Judiciary Committee approved 3 articles of impeachment.

Question 9

Watergate Tapes- Resignation

Answer 9

To avoid impeachment, Nixon resigned in August 1974 and VP Gerald Ford became President
25 of Nixon’s aides and associates jailed, Nixon pardoned

Question 10

Consequences- Distrust

Answer 10

First President to resign in office
Distrust of government reinforced- ‘tainted the Presidency’ + reinforced suspicion of ‘Washington’ politics

Question 11

Consequences- Republicans

Answer 11

Shift in ideological direction- Right-Wing took control of the party
Ford faced increasingly hostile press- adversarial relationship to journalists + right wing critics

Question 12

Consequences- Congress

Answer 12

Laws to limit Presidential power
War Powers Act (1973)- limit power to take nation to war
Ethics in Government Act (1978)- all senior gov. officials must disclose finances
Hughes-Ryan Amendment to Privacy Act (1974)- President to report to Congress on undercover operations of intelligence agencies

Question 13

Significance

Answer 13

Prompted the Republican Party to reject Nixon’s platform + realign to the right
Increased hostility of the press
Increased suspicion of government, long-term political disillusionment
Congress became more assertive + put safeguards in place