Watergate Lecture Summary

Nixon and Watergate

Introduction

• Watergate is a complex scandal involving numerous individuals and events.
• It extends beyond just the break-in at the Watergate hotel, encompassing a wide range of corrupt activities by Nixon's administration.

Origins of Watergate

• Nixon's Concerns
  • Nixon was worried about reelection and leaks of sensitive material from the White House.
  • He felt like the "captain of a sieve" due to unwanted information getting out.
• The Plumbers
  • Nixon hired a covert intelligence wing known as the "plumbers" to stop leaks.
  • David Young, a member, joked about stopping leaks, which led to the group's name.
  • The name stuck until they realized it was not wise to advertise their covert operations.

The Pentagon Papers

• Daniel Ellsberg
  • Daniel Ellsberg, a special assistant at the Pentagon's Office of International Security Affairs, released the Pentagon Papers.
  • The Pentagon Papers were a long-form report on the Vietnam War from 1945 to 1969.
  • Ellsberg copied and leaked the report to expose the truth about the war, hoping to enrage the American public.
• Publication and Nixon's Reaction
  • Ellsberg leaked portions of the defense department study to The New York Times and Washington Post.
  • The report covered Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and LBJ's involvement in the war, with minimal mention of Nixon.
  • Nixon feared the report would expose his secret, illegal bombing in Cambodia.
  • Initially, Nixon was okay with the release because it criticized LBJ's handling of the Gulf of Tonkin affair.
• Kissinger's Influence
  • Henry Kissinger warned Nixon about setting a bad precedent by allowing leaks, as future leaks could harm the administration.
• Smearing Daniel Ellsberg
  • Nixon aimed to discredit Ellsberg to undermine his credibility and prevent public support for his actions.
  • The administration planned to break into Ellsberg's therapist's office to find damaging information.
  • John Erlichman approved the break-in on the condition that it was untraceable, tasking E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy.
  • The break-in occurred in California in August, but no incriminating information was found, and the files were left behind.
  • The break-in was later connected to the Nixon administration during the Watergate hearings.

The Brookings Institute Plot

• Nixon's Obsession
  • Nixon was obsessed with obtaining documents from the LBJ administration regarding Vietnam War negotiations and the 1968 ceasefire.
  • He feared these documents would reveal his efforts to sabotage the peace process.
• Instructions and Recorded Tapes
  • Four days after the release of the Pentagon Papers in June 1971, Nixon instructed HR Halderman to break into the Brookings Institute.
  • Nixon's tapes recorded him ordering the theft of materials related to the bombing halt in Vietnam ordered by LBJ before the election.
  • Nixon believed these papers implicated him in the Chennault affair.
• Nixon's Orders
  • On tape, Nixon said: "I mean, I want it implemented on a thievery basis. Goddamn it. Get it. Get those files. Blow the safe and get it."
  • Nixon suggested blackmailing LBJ.
• Firebombing Plan
  • Charles Coulson testified that Nixon proposed firebombing Brookings to allow the FBI to seize the safe and extract the file during the chaos.
• Lack of Evidence
  • There is no evidence that the Brookings Institute was ever broken into.
• Plumbers' Incompetence
  • The incompetence of Hunt and Liddy led to their exposure, as they left incriminating pictures at the FBI office.

The Plumbers: Cast of Characters

• Key Figures
  • E. Howard Hunt: Former CIA officer.
  • G. Gordon Liddy: Former FBI agent.
  • Frank Anthony Sturgis: Former undercover CIA agent.
  • Charles Colson: White House director of the office of public liaison (Nixon's hatchet man).
  • James McCord: Former FBI and CIA agent.
  • John Paulsley: Current CIA agent with possible involvement.

The Watergate Break-in

• Initial Break-in
  • The Gazella Press break-in occurred on June 17, 1972, a year after Nixon's orders to break into the Brookings Institute.
  • An earlier break-in occurred on May 28, where Liddy, McCord, and some Cubans planted bugs.
  • Most bugs were defective, except for one on the secretary's phone.
• Frank Willis
  • Frank Willis, a 24-year-old night security guard at Watergate, discovered tape on a door in the parking garage leading to the office complex.
  • He removed the tape, and when he found it retaped, he became suspicious and called the police.
  • Plainclothes drug squad officers responded and discovered the Watergate burglars on the sixth floor, where the DNC office was located.
• Arrest and Aftermath
  • Police arrested James McCord and the Cubans, who were former CIA operatives with connections to the Bay of Pigs invasion.
  • They were equipped with surgical gloves, walkie-talkies, $2,300$ worth of crisp $100$ bills in sequential order, advanced photographic equipment, and wiretapping devices.
  • Woodward, a new reporter at the Washington Post, got involved due to a call about the break-in.
  • McCord whispered "CIA" when asked about his work, raising suspicions.

Initial Reactions and Martha Mitchell

• White House Response
  • Ronald Zeiler, the White House spokesman, described the break-in as a "third-rate burglary attempt."
  • The Washington Post revealed McCord was a security coordinator for Nixon's reelection committee and had ties to the RNC and DNC.
  • The RNC and CREEP issued statements expressing surprise and dismay.
• Martha Mitchell's Involvement
  • Martha Mitchell, wife of Attorney General John Mitchell, recognized McCord as her former bodyguard.
  • She called Helen Thomas of UPI and was abruptly disconnected, with a man heard saying, "You can't be talking to other people."
  • Martha was later held captive in her California hotel room, drugged, beaten, and required stitches on her hand.

Nixon's Involvement and Cover-Up

• Nixon's Knowledge
  • Nixon reportedly said the break-in would be forgotten by June.
  • Six days after the break-in, Nixon was briefed by HR Halderman, who mentioned the involvement of the FBI and the issue of traceable sequential bills.
• Taped Conversations
  • Nixon, Halderman, and Vernon Walters (acting CIA director) discussed having Walters tell Pat Gray (head of the FBI) to stay out of the investigation.
  • They hoped the FBI would believe it was a CIA operation.
  • They discussed tracing the money to Ken Dahlberg, a donor from Minnesota, who had given $25,000$ to the campaign.
  • Nixon inquired about what John Mitchell knew and the involvement of Howard Hunt.
  • Halderman described G. Gordon Liddy as "nuts," recounting how Liddy would hold his hand over a flame to prove his toughness.
• Destruction of Evidence
  • Jim Magruder (Nixon's deputy campaign manager) and James Dean (White House counsel) began destroying evidence and lying to investigators.
  • FBI Director Patrick Gray turned over evidence concerning Howard Hunt to John Dean, who then destroyed it.

Escalating Crisis

• Howard Hunt's Blackmail
  • Howard Hunt demanded money to remain silent.
  • John Dean warned Nixon about a "cancer close to the presidency" and blackmail from Hunt.
  • Nixon indicated that a million dollars could be obtained to quiet Hunt.
• Mitchell's Resignation and Secret Funds
  • John Mitchell resigned on July 1, 1972, partly to silence his wife, Martha, who threatened to reveal stories if he didn't leave CREEP.
  • Mitchell was exposed as controlling a secret intelligence fund containing as much as $700,000$ in undeclared cash.
• Dirty Tricks and Ratfucking
  • Treasury Department attorney Donald Segreti was involved in spying, disrupting Democratic rallies, and making false allegations.
  • These activities aimed to sow discord among Democratic candidates.

The Muskie Campaign Sabotage

• Forged Letter
  • The White House sent a forged letter from Edwin Muskie to the Manchester Union Leader, disparaging French Canadians.
  • A story was released about Muskie's wife being drunk and a bigot.
  • Muskie gave an impassioned speech defending his wife during a blizzard.
  • The press reported that Muskie visibly wept during the speech, damaging his campaign.
  • This incident effectively undercut Muskie's campaign and benefited Nixon.

The 1972 Election

• Nixon's Victory
  • Watergate did not significantly affect the 1972 election, where Nixon won by a large margin (404 electoral votes).
  • Nixon wanted to crush his political opponents to fulfill his ego, which drove the need for the dirty tricks.

Trials and Indictments

• Initial Convictions
  • In 1973, seven men were indicted, including McCord, Liddy, and Hunt.
  • They received sentences of 20 to 40 years for the break-in, intended to pressure them to reveal more information.
  • McCord admitted that he and others were pressured to remain silent and that John Dean and John Mitchell ordered him to perjure himself.
• Senate Involvement
  • The Senate established the Select Committee on Presidential Activities (Watergate Committee), chaired by Sam Irvin.
  • John Dean testified that Nixon was involved in the cover-up and suspected the existence of White House tapes.
• FBI and Gray's Involvement
  • Patrick Gray faced scrutiny for turning over files to Dean, which were then destroyed.

The Tapes

• Butterfield's Revelation
  • Alexander Butterfield revealed the existence of tapes in the Oval Office during Senate hearings.
  • This confirmed that conversations were recorded.
• Resignations and Firings
  • Nixon announced the resignations of Halderman, Erlichman, and Attorney General Kleinenstadt due to the Watergate investigation.
  • John Dean was also fired.

The Setup

• Dean's Report
  • Nixon asked Dean to compile a report about everything he knew about the Watergate matter.
  • Dean realized that he was being set up to take the blame.

Special Prosecutor

• Creation
  • In May, a new attorney general, Richardson, appoints Archibald Cox, his former law professor, to be special prosecutor and take over the DOJ investigation.

Dean's Testimony

• Nixon's Fear
  • On June 25, John Dean testified that Nixon was involved in the cover-up and that he had discussed it with the president on at least 35 occasions.
  • He testified Dean knew this because the president had warned him in the strongest terms never to reveal the covert activities of the Nixon administration.
  • He was sure the president wanted to preserve the report to make him a scapegoat and had taped convos about it.

White House Rejects the Court

• Cox goes off and gets or attempts to get the cape the tapes
• White House rejects the court order by judge Secreia to turn them over claiming executive privilege.
• Goes to the court of appeals. Court of appeals upholds the order. White House again refuses. This time, they try and meet halfway. They offer to allow senator John who is a Democrat from Mississippi, to listen to the tapes in a proven edited version.
• Why Nixon didn't want folks to hear em',
• Tapes hold secrets, national secrets.

July 24, 1974

• Supreme Court of the United States unanimously declares 08/2001 doesn't participate, that Nixon must turn over the tapes.
• Nixon, though, continues in we're not there yet. Like I said, we're still we're only in August of nineteen seventy three.
• But before that..
• 08/15/1973, I had no prior knowledge of the Watergate break in. I neither took part nor knew of any of the subsequent cover up activities. I neither authorized nor encouraged subordinates to engage in illegal and improper campaign tax tactics. That was and is simple truth.
• A month well, two months later, as Cox pushes for the tapes again, after the appeals, court ordered the, overturning or the turning over the tapes.
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