Omar Bennett
The Watergate Scandal was a series of interlocking political scandals during US President Richard Nixon's administration. It included a break-in at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., on June 17, 1972, and a subsequent cover-up by people who worked for or with the White House, including Nixon himself. The scandal led to a constitutional crisis, as it raised the question of whether a sitting US President could be prosecuted for criminal charges during his term of office. The tapes, which revealed Nixon's knowledge of the cover-up, played a crucial role in the crisis, with the Senate Watergate Committee reviving public confidence in congressional investigations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Scandal | June 17, 1972 |
| Location of Scandal | Watergate hotel and office complex, Washington, D.C. |
| People Involved | Richard Nixon, Charles Wendell Colson, Gerald Ford, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, W. Mark Felt, James W. McCord Jr. |
| Nature of Scandal | Burglary, wiretapping, political spying, sabotage, cover-up |
| Constitutional Crisis | Whether the President of the United States can be prosecuted for criminal charges during his term of office |
| Impeachment | Considered but not carried out due to Nixon's resignation |
| Indictment | Sought but not issued due to Nixon's resignation and subsequent pardon |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The involvement of Nixon's aides in the Watergate scandal
The Watergate Scandal began on June 17, 1972, when several burglars were arrested in the office of the Democratic National Committee, located in the Watergate complex of buildings in Washington, D.C. The burglars were caught wiretapping phones and stealing documents. They were also connected to President Richard Nixon's reelection campaign.
Nixon's aides were heavily involved in the Watergate Scandal. On January 27, 1972, G. Gordon Liddy, Finance Counsel for the Committee for the Re-Election of the President (CRP) and former aide to John Ehrlichman, presented a campaign intelligence plan to CRP's acting chairman Jeb Stuart Magruder, Attorney General John Mitchell, and Presidential Counsel John Dean. The plot involved extensive illegal activities against the Democratic Party. John Dean and Jeb Stuart Magruder later pleaded guilty.
John Mitchell, Nixon's Attorney General, served 19 months in prison for his role in the scandal. John Ehrlichman, another top aide to Nixon, spent 18 months in prison for attempting to cover up the break-in. H.R. Haldeman, Nixon's Chief of Staff, also spent 19 months in prison. Charles Colson, a close political aide to Nixon, was indicted by a grand jury in Washington, D.C., for conspiring to hinder the Watergate investigation. Dwight Chapin, the former Nixon appointments secretary, was convicted of lying to the grand jury.
Nixon's aides played a significant role in the cover-up of the Watergate Scandal. They urged five conspirators to plead guilty to avoid trial, while the other two were convicted in January 1973. Nixon's aides also attempted to impede the FBI's investigation by instructing the CIA to get involved. They spread alibis and arranged for the "disappearance" of E. Howard Hunt to another country, as part of a plan to frame the burglars as overzealous anticommunist patriots.
The Supreme Court's Power: Understanding the Supremacy Clause
You may want to see also
The question of whether a sitting US President can be prosecuted for criminal charges
The Watergate Scandal, a series of interlocking political scandals, involved a break-in at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., and a subsequent cover-up by the White House and President Richard Nixon himself. The scandal led to a constitutional crisis, as it brought to light the question of whether a sitting US President could be prosecuted for criminal charges.
The US Senate voted to create a select committee to investigate the scandal, which was headed by Senator Sam Ervin, a former North Carolina Supreme Court justice and widely regarded as the Senate's constitutional expert. The committee subpoenaed tapes and documents from Nixon, believing they would reveal the President's knowledge of and involvement in the cover-up. Nixon, however, refused to comply, citing executive privilege and constitutional separation of powers. This refusal to cooperate with the committee's investigation provoked a constitutional crisis, as it raised the question of whether a sitting US President could be compelled to testify and be prosecuted for criminal charges.
Senator Ervin insisted that executive privilege could not be used to cover criminal behaviour and threatened to authorise the arrest of White House aides who refused to testify. The committee considered taking the President to court. However, Watergate Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski advised the grand jury that, in his opinion, a sitting President could not be indicted. He suggested that the House Judiciary Committee was the appropriate body under the Constitution for examining evidence relating to the President.
Despite this, the House Judiciary Committee pursued its constitutional mandate and drew up five articles of impeachment, three of which they approved in the summer of 1974. When President Nixon was forced by the Supreme Court to surrender tape recordings that revealed his knowledge of the cover-up, even his supporters in the House admitted that they would have to vote in favour of impeachment. On August 9, 1974, Nixon became the only US President to resign.
After Nixon's resignation, the Watergate Special Prosecutor's Office again faced the question of whether to seek an indictment against the former President. A memorandum from August 1974 outlines reasons for and against pursuing an indictment, and the Office ultimately decided not to indict Nixon, as he was pardoned by President Ford.
Public Office: Forbidden Qualifications and Their Legal Ramifications
You may want to see also
The media's role in exposing the scandal
The Watergate Scandal was a major political scandal in the United States that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974. The media played a significant, yet disputed, role in exposing the scandal.
Journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein from The Washington Post pursued leads provided by an anonymous source called "Deep Throat", later revealed to be FBI associate director Mark Felt. Woodward met secretly with Felt several times, who revealed information about the Watergate break-in and warned about the FBI's interest in their sources. Felt also anonymously leaked information to other publications, including Time magazine and The Washington Daily News.
However, it is important to note that the media's role in uncovering the scandal has been questioned. Historian Kutler, author of The Wars of Watergate, argues that the media's coverage of the scandal was ""almost nonexistent" during the pivotal first months. He suggests that the media primarily repeated information that was already known to investigative authorities and that carefully timed leaks, rather than media investigations, provided the first news of Watergate. Additionally, Bernstein himself acknowledged that the White House successfully framed their reporting as the obsession of a "liberal" newspaper with a vendetta against the president.
Despite this, the media's coverage of the Watergate Scandal did play a role in keeping the story in the public eye and encouraging further investigation. The Washington Post's front-page headline "Nixon Resigns" marked the end of Nixon's presidency and sparked debates about the influence of journalism in exposing the scandal. The scandal also had a significant impact on journalism itself, with the media becoming more cautious and diligent in their investigations.
In conclusion, while the media did play a role in exposing the Watergate Scandal, the extent and importance of their involvement have been debated. The scandal highlighted the power of the press in holding political leaders accountable and brought about changes in journalism, with reporters becoming more cautious and thorough in their investigations.
Framers' Vision: Democracy and the Constitution
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The Senate Watergate Committee's investigation
The Senate Watergate Committee, officially called the Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, was established by the United States Senate in 1973 to investigate the Watergate scandal. The committee was formed following the trial of the Watergate burglars, during which Chief Federal District Judge John Sirica urged those awaiting sentencing to cooperate with the committee. The committee was empowered to investigate the break-in at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., and any subsequent cover-up of criminal activity. It also had a mandate to examine "all other illegal, improper, or unethical conduct occurring during the controversial 1972 presidential election, including political espionage and campaign finance practices".
The committee was chaired by Senator Sam Ervin of North Carolina, a former North Carolina Supreme Court justice and Harvard Law School graduate. Senator Ervin was widely regarded as the Senate's constitutional expert, and his reputation among his colleagues was described as "unassailable". The committee's chief counsel was Samuel Dash, who directed the investigation, and the minority counsel was Fred Thompson. The committee was provided with a budget of $500,000 and was tasked with submitting a final report by February 28, 1974.
The hearings opened on May 17, 1973, and were broadcast live during the day on commercial television. PBS replayed the hearings at night, and the audio feed was also broadcast on National Public Radio stations. In total, about 319 hours of the hearings were broadcast, and 85% of US households watched some portion of them. The print news media also played a significant role in focusing America's attention on the issue with hard-hitting investigative reports.
The hearings revealed that President Nixon had participated in the Watergate cover-up, and this prompted the impeachment process against him. The committee issued a seven-volume, 1,250-page report on June 27, 1974, titled "Report on Presidential Campaign Activities". Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974.
The Constitution's Limits on Congressional Salaries: Where's the Restraint?
You may want to see also
The constitutional implications of Nixon's resignation
The Watergate Scandal, a series of interlocking political scandals, involved a break-in at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters and subsequent cover-up by the Nixon administration and Nixon himself. The scandal led to a constitutional crisis and raised questions about the nature of the US presidency and the potential criminality of the president.
Secondly, the scandal and subsequent resignation brought to light the issue of executive privilege and the separation of powers. Nixon repeatedly refused to comply with the Senate Watergate Committee's requests, citing executive privilege and separation of powers. This stand-off between the executive and legislative branches of government created a constitutional crisis, as it raised questions about the extent of presidential power and the ability of Congress to hold the president accountable.
Thirdly, the Watergate Scandal and Nixon's resignation had a profound impact on public trust in the presidency and the US government more broadly. The revelation that the president and his administration had engaged in illegal activities, including wiretapping and campaign finance violations, likely damaged public confidence in the integrity of the office.
Finally, Nixon's resignation and the subsequent pardon by President Ford set a precedent for how the US government handles similar situations. The pardon granted by Ford, which was unconditional and covered any crimes Nixon may have committed during his presidency, established a standard for how the executive branch deals with potential criminality by a former president.
In conclusion, the constitutional implications of Nixon's resignation were far-reaching and had a lasting impact on the interpretation and application of the US Constitution, particularly regarding the powers and accountability of the president.
Opposition to Constitution Ratification: Why the Divide?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The Watergate Scandal was a series of interlocking political scandals of US President Richard Nixon's administration. It included a break-in at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., on June 17, 1972, and a subsequent cover-up by people who worked for or with the White House, and by Nixon himself.
The Watergate Scandal created a constitutional crisis because it led to a discussion of whether the President of the United States could be prosecuted for criminal charges during his term of office. The executive branch had become imperial during Nixon's presidency, with Nixon and his loyal group of advisers sharing a desire for secrecy and the consolidation of power.
President Nixon was named an "unindicted co-conspirator" because Watergate Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski advised the grand jury that, in his opinion, a sitting President could not be indicted. Nixon resigned from the Presidency on August 9, 1974, and became a private citizen.
