Watergate: Nixon’s Downfall
Ch. 24-2
An Imperial Presidency
• 1968 – The Executive branch has become the most powerful branch of government;– The expansion of presidential power began with T.
Roosevelt; – FDR continued the expansion during the New Deal
and WWII• Nixon wanted to further increase the power of
the President
All the President’s Men
• Nixon surrounded himself with a small group of loyal advisers:– H.R. Haldeman – White House Chief of Staff– John Ehrlichman – Chief Domestic Adviser– John Mitchell – Attorney General– John Dean – Counsel to the President
• Nixon and his advisers came to believe that they were above the law
A Bungled Burglary
• June 17, 1972 – Five men are caught breaking into Democratic Party headquarters in the Watergate complex;– The plan was to photograph documents and bug
telephones;– James McCord, the group’s leader, was a former
CIA agent and security coordinator for the Committee to Reelect the President (CRP)
The Cover-Up Begins
• With the President’s knowledge and consent:– Incriminating documents are shredded;– The CIA is asked to urge the FBI to stop its investigation into
the burglary;– The CRP pays off the burglars to keep quiet
• Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, reporters for the Washington Post continue investigating;– Information uncovered by Woodward & Bernstein links the
White House to the burglary;– Their source is an insider nicknamed, “Deep Throat”
The Cover-Up Unravels• James McCord reveals that members of the
Nixon administration were involved in the break-in;
• The Senate begins an investigation into Watergate:– Nixon fires Dean and announces the resignation of
Haldeman and Ehrlichman;– Nixon appears on TV to deny involvement– Officials in the Nixon administration are called to
testify before a Senate special committee
The Nixon Tapes
• During his Senate testimony, Dean reveals that Nixon was deeply involved in the cover-up
• Presidential Aide, Alexander Butterfield, reveals that Nixon taped virtually all presidential conversations– A battle for the “Nixon Tapes” follows;– More Nixon administration officials resign or are
fired, including the V.P., Spiro Agnew• Gerald Ford is confirmed as the new V.P.
U.S. v. Nixon
• July, 1974 - The Supreme Court determines that Nixon must hand over the White House tapes;– Nixon claims “executive privilege” and that
handing over the tapes may endanger national security;
– Court says there is no executive privilege when there is evidence of criminal activity
Nixon Resigns• March 1974 – Seven presidential aids are indicted
on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and perjury
• July 27, 1974 – The Senate committee approves three articles of impeachment against Nixon for obstruction, abuse of power and contempt
• August 5, 1974 – Nixon releases the tapes which contain evidence that Nixon had known and agreed to the cover-up plan.
• August 8, 1974 – Nixon become the 1st president to resign from office
The Legacy of Watergate
• 25 members of Nixon’s administration are convicted and sent to prison.– Nixon is pardoned by President Ford
• People are disillusioned with their government and with the “imperial presidency”– Lingering cynicism/distrust in the media and with the
American public• Congress acts to curb the power of the President– Halt funding of the bombing in Cambodia– War Powers Act – limits the president’s freedom in
initiating foreign wars