Watergate scandal

The Watergate Scandal (1972–1974) (or just "Watergate") was an American political scandal and constitutional crisis that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

The tapes

The hearings held by the Senate Watergate Committee, in which Dean was the star witness and in which many other former key administration officials gave dramatic testimony, were broadcast through most of the summer, causing devastating political damage to Nixon. Most famously, Republican Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee asked the memorable question "What did the president know and when did he know it?" which focused attention for the first time on Nixon's personal role in the scandal.

Related Topics:
Howard Baker - Tennessee

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On July 13, Watergate Committee Deputy Minority Counsel Donald G. Sanders asked Alexander Butterfield, deputy assistant to the President, if there were any type of recording system in the White House. Butterfield answered that though he was reluctant to say so, there was a system in the White House that automatically recorded everything in the Oval Office. The shocking revelation radically transformed the Watergate investigation. The tapes were soon subpoenaed by both Cox and the Senate, as they might prove whether Nixon or Dean was telling the truth about key meetings.

Related Topics:
July 13 - Alexander Butterfield

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Nixon refused, citing the principle of executive privilege, and ordered Cox, via Attorney General Richardson, to drop his subpoena. Cox's refusal led to the "Saturday Night Massacre" on October 20, 1973, when Nixon compelled the resignations of Richardson and then his deputy William Ruckelshaus in a search for someone in the Justice Department willing to fire Cox. This search ended with Solicitor General Robert Bork, and the new acting department head dismissed the special prosecutor. Allegations of wrongdoing caused Nixon to famously state, "I am not a crook" in front of 400 Associated Press managing editors at Walt Disney World in Florida on November 17.

Related Topics:
Executive privilege - Saturday Night Massacre - October 20 - 1973 - William Ruckelshaus - Solicitor General - Robert Bork - Associated Press - Walt Disney World - Florida - November 17

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Nixon was forced, however, to allow the appointment of a new special prosecutor, Leon Jaworski, who continued the investigation. While Nixon continued to refuse to turn over actual tapes, he did agree to release edited transcripts of a large number of them. These largely confirmed Dean's account, and caused further embarrassment when a crucial, 18½ minute portion of one tape, which had never been out of White House custody, was found to have been erased. The White House blamed this on Nixon's secretary, Rose Mary Woods, who said she had accidentally erased the tape by pushing the wrong foot pedal on her tape player while answering the phone. However, as photos splashed all over the press showed, for Woods to answer the phone and keep her foot on the pedal required a stretch that would have challenged many a gymnast. She was then said to have held this position for the full 18½ minutes. Later forensic analysis determined that the gap had been erased several—perhaps as many as nine—times over, refuting the "accidental erasure" explanation.

Related Topics:
Special prosecutor - Leon Jaworski - 18½ minute portion - Rose Mary Woods

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This issue of access to the tapes went all the way to the Supreme Court. On July 24, 1974, in United States v. Nixon, the Court ruled unanimously (sans the recused Justice Rehnquist) that Nixon's claims of executive privilege over the tapes was void and they further ordered him to surrender them to Jaworski. On July 30 he complied with the order and released the subpoenaed tapes.

Related Topics:
Supreme Court - July 24 - 1974 - United States v. Nixon - Justice Rehnquist - July 30

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