Nixon: Watergate

What was Nixon’s Political Cynicism?

Context: By the time he became president, Nixon was deeply cynical about the U.S. political system.

Perceived Grievances:

• Believed the 1960 election was stolen from him via dubious practices in Chicago and Texas.

• Claimed the Kennedy administration harassed him with an IRS audit and bugged his phone.

Key Mindset: An aide noted that Nixon believed, ‘You just don’t know how to lie’ to succeed in politics.

What was CREEP (Committee for the Re-election of the President)?

• Purpose: Established to ensure Nixon’s victory in the 1972 election amid fears of defeat due to his unpopular prolongation of the Vietnam War.

• Illegal Fundraising: Collected over $60 million; notably allowed the McDonald’s chairman to keep an unauthorised price increase after a $255,000 donation.

• Political Subversion: Actively worked to discredit moderate Democratic opponents like Senator Edmund Muskie.

• Historical View: Historian Iwan Morgan stated their ‘dirty tricks’ went far beyond standard American election tactics.

What was significance with the Pentagon Papers & Surveillance?

• The Leak: Nixon feared sensitive Vietnam policy information was leaking to the press.

• Government Overreach: The administration ordered the FBI to wiretap eleven officials (including the Secretaries of State and Defense) and four journalists.

• Justification: Nixon claimed these actions were necessary for internal order and were not illegal.

Who were the ‘Plumbers’ in relation with the Pentagon Papers?

• The ‘Plumbers’: A White House Special Investigation Unit established in summer 1971 to halt leak of sensitive information.

• Daniel Ellsberg: A Washington bureaucrat who leaked the ‘Pentagon Papers’, which detailed Vietnam policies.

• Targeting Ellsberg: To discredit Ellsberg, ‘plumbers’ Gordon Libby, E. Howed Hunt and Charles Colson broke in his psychiatrist’s office in 1971 after the FBI refused to wiretap him.

What happened with the Watergate Break-in (June 1972)?

• Objective: CREEP organised an illegal break-in at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarter to find ‘dirt’ on opponents.

• The Arrest: Five Burglars (James McCord and four Cuban-Americans) were caught by security guard Frank Wills.

• Coordination: Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt were caught across the street coordinating the burglary via walkie-talkies.

What happened with the Cover-up & Obstruction of Justice with Watergate?

• Laundered Money: The FBI traced campaign funds found on the burglars back to CREEP; money had been ‘cleaned’ through a Mexican bank to hide it’s origin.

• CIA Involvement: Nixon and Haldeman tried to use the CIA to stop the FBI investigation - a direct obstruction of justice.

• Hush Money: Nixon attempted to pay the burglars $430,000 to keep them quiet.

• Convictions: By Janruary 1973, the burglars were convicted, with sentences ranging from 20 years (Liddy) to 40 years (the Cubans).

Who were the key Conspirators in Watergate - The ‘Dirty Tricks’ trio?

• Charles Colson: Nixon’s Special Counsel (1969070) and CREEP member; suggested extreme schemes like firebombing the Brookings Institution or feeding LSD to anti-Nixon commentators.

• Gordon Liddy: Ran CREEP’s surveillance; proposed kidnapping political opponents, employing prostitutes to compromise Democrats, and famously held his arm over a candle to prove his silence.

• E. Howard Hunt: Ex-CIA officer who used CIA equipment (wigs, voice changers) to lead surveillance on Senator Edward Kennedy in hopes of exposing a sexual scandal.

Who were the Legal & Security Aides involved with Watergate?

• John Dean: Served as White House Counsel (1970-73) and provided legal advice to Nion throughout the Watergate scandal.

• Jeb Magruder: Special assistant to Nixon and a bridge between the White House and CREEP leadership (Haldeman and Mitchell).

• James McCord: Former D=FBI and CIA employee who served as the security director of CREEP during the 1972 break-ins.

Was Nixon aware of the Watergate break-ins?

• The Break-ins: It remains uncertain if Nixion know about the CREEP break-ins before they happened.

• The Cover-up: There is ‘no doubt’ he was involved in the cover-up from the beginning.

• Defense Strategy: Nixon suggested that if accused of bugging, they should claim they were bring bugged and even ‘plant a bug and find it ourselves’.

• Reaction to Liddy: On the White House tapes, when Nixon learned of the break-in, he reffered to the culprit (Liddy) as ‘a little nuts’.

How was Edward ‘Ted’ Kennedy a key target with the Watergate break-ins?

• Background: Younger brother of John and Robert Kennedy; a liberal Senator for Massachusetts (1962-2009).

• Why Targeted: Nixon’s team (specifically Hunt) hoped to expose a ‘sexual escapade’ to ruin his standing as a potential candidacy in 1971-72.

How did the Media and the Washington Post expose the Watergate break-ins?

• Initial Reception: The media initiallu gave little coverage to the Watergate break-in, regarding it as a minor incident.

• The Breakthrough: Two Washington Post reporters, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, kept the sotry alive.

• The Source: They were aided by an anonymous high-level informant code-named ‘Deep Throat’ (later revealed in 2005 to be Mark Felt, the Associate Director of the FBI).

• Impact: Their investigative journalism slowly revealed that the break-in was part of a much larger, state-sponsored web of political spying and corruption.

What happened with the Senate Investigation (1973)?

The Committee: In February 1973, the Senate established a Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, chaired by Democrat Sam Ervin.

The Cover-uo Unravels:

• In March 1973, burglar James McCord wrote to the trial Judge claiming White House officials had pressured the burglars to plead guilty and remain silent.

• In April, Nixon tried to distance himself by firing his top aides, Haldeman and Ehrlichman, while White House Counsel John Dean was dismissed and decided to co-operate with investigators.

The Bombshell: In July 1973, White House aide Alexander Butterfield revealed the existence of an automatic taping system that recorded all conversations in the Oval Office since 1971.

What was the role of Congress in the Watergate Scandal?

• Media Impact: Television network covered over 300 hours of the unfolding scandal, transfixing the nation.

• The Watergate Committee: In February 1973, the Senate established the bipartisan Select Committe on a Presidental Campaign Activities, chaired by Democratic Senator Sam Ervin (whom Nixon called an ‘old fart’).

• The Crack n the Cover-up: By March 1973, conspiractors began to talk. McCord agreed to talk about Magruder, Mitchell, Dean, Haldeman, and Colson; Magruder adn Dean agreed to talk as well.

• The Hearings: Between May and August 1973, Ervin’s committee held 37 days of hearings.

• key Admission: Former Attorney General John Mitchell admitted to meeting with the conspirators three times before the break-in.

What was the significance of ‘Martha the Mouth?’

Who she was: Martha Mitchell was the outspoken, gossip-loving widfe of Attorney General John Mitchell.

The Press & Nixon’s View: Nicknamed ‘Martha the Mouth’ by the press. Nixon claimed John Mitchell was dangerously distracted by her mental health problems during the scandal, famously stating: ‘If it hadn’t been for Martha Mitchell, there’d have been no Watergate’.

John Mitchell’s Reaction: After being sentenced to jail for his role in Watergate, John Mitchell told a reporter it could have been worse: ‘They could have sentenced me to spend the rest of my life with Martha’.

What happened with the resignations in relation to the discovery of the Watergate tapes?

• April 1973 Shakeup: John Dean (who managed the cover-up) was fired, while top aides Haldeman and Ehrlichmann resigned.

• Nixon’s Defense: In May, Nixon claimed thee aides handled the cover-up, but Haldeman, Ehrlichmann and Mitchell denied it.

• Conflicting Testimony: Dean testified that Nixon was involved in the over-up, but Haldeman, Ehrlichmann, and Mitchell denied it.

• The Bombshell Revelation: In July 1973, White House aide Alexander Butterfield revealed the existece of Nixon’s secret White House taping system. Even Nixon’s own family did not know their private conversations were being recorded.

What was the Situation between Congress and the Special Prosecutors (Saturday Night Massacre)?

• The Appointment: In May 1973, Congress forced Nixon to appoint Archibald Cox (a Democrat and Kennedy family fried