Richard Nixon and Watergate
By: Christopher Dorsett
Facts about the Watergate Scandal and Richard Nixon's involvement
2. The Nixon administration tried to cover up their involvement but when it was discovered by and investigated by congress the administrations resistance led to a constitutional crisis.
3. It was found out through a series of different investigations that President Nixon had a tape recording system in his offices that recorded many conversations.
4. This scandal led to the finding out of several other instances when President Nixon abused his power.
5. With the combination of the public scrutiny and all the incriminating evidence against him and the threat of being impeached President Nixon resigned on August 9 1974.
The Watergate Hotel
The Watergate Scandal
Early in the morning of June 17, 1972, several burglars were arrested inside the office of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), located in the Watergate building in Washington, D.C. This was no ordinary robbery: The burglars were connected to President Richard Nixon’s reelection campaign and they had been caught while attempting to wiretap phones and steal secret documents.
While historians are not sure whether Nixon knew about the Watergate operation before it happened, he took steps to cover it up afterwards, raising hush money for the burglars, trying to stop the FBI from investigating the crime, destroying evidence and firing uncooperative staff members. In August 1974, after his role in the Watergate conspiracy had finally come to light, he resigned as president of the United States. His successor, Gerald Ford, immediately pardoned Nixon for all the crimes he committed or may have committed while in office.