AN IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY EXECUTIVE MOST POWERFUL

AN IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY • EXECUTIVE = MOST POWERFUL BRANCH OF U. S. GOV’T DUE TO: § GREAT DEPRESSION § WWII § COLD WAR • NIXON WANTED TO MAKE EXEC. BRANCH EVEN MORE POWERFUL. . . TO MAKE THE PRESIDENT LIKE AN “EMPEROR” • CAUSED TENSION W/CONGRESS

AN IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY • REFUSED TO SPEND $ FOR PROGRAMS HE OPPOSED • INVADED CAMBODIA WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL • NIXON’S PERSONALITY WAS: – – – SHY INSECURE ALOOF SECRETIVE PARANOID VINDICTIVE • KEPT AN “ENEMIES LIST”: – USED THE FBI AND IRS TO HARASS POLITICAL OPPONENTS

All the President’s Men • RELIED ON A SMALL GROUP OF LOYAL ADVISORS: – H. R. HALDEMAN (WHITE HOUSE- CHIEF OF STAFF) – JOHN EHRLICHMAN (DOMESTIC ADVISOR) – JOHN MITCHELL (ATTORNEY GENERAL) • BELIEVED THEY WERE ABOVE THE LAW

THE PENTAGON PAPERS • SHOWED THE GOV’T LIED ABOUT VIETNAM • PUBLISHED IN THE NYT • OBTAINED FROM DANIEL ELLSBERG (FORMER DEPT. OF DEFENSE EMPLOYEE) • NIXON ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO BLOCK PUBLICATION • COURT UPHOLDS NYT’s FREEDOM OF SPEECH

The “Plumbers” • “PLUMBERS” = TEAM OF WHITE HOUSE INVESTIGATORS CREATED TO: § PREVENT GOV’T SECRETS FROM LEAKING TO THE PRESS § HELP ENSURE NIXON’S 1972 REELECTION • BURGLARIZED OFFICE OF ELLSBERG’S PSYCHIATRIST TO GET DAMAGING EVIDENCE TO DISCREDIT HIM

A BUNGLED BURGLARY • WATERGATE HOTEL, WASH. D. C. , JUNE 17, 1972 • “PLUMBERS” CAUGHT BREAKING INTO THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE HQ • PLANNED TO PHOTOGRAPH DOCUMENTS AND WIRETAP PHONES

A BUNGLED BURGLARY • TIES TO WHITE HOUSE: § JAMES Mc. CORD, LEAD “PLUMBER”, WAS A FORMER CIA AGENT § ALSO WORKED FOR THE COMMITTEE TO REELECT THE PRESIDENT OR “CREEP” § PAPERS FOUND ON BURGLARS LED BACK TO WHITE HOUSE STAFF MEMBER

A BUNGLED BURGLARY • A COVER-UP OF THE WHITE HOUSE CONNECTION BEGAN: § WORKERS SHREDDED DOCUMENTS § NIXON URGED THE FBI TO STOP INVESTIGATING THE BREAK-IN (WOULD HARM NATIONAL SECURITY) § “CREEP” PAID “HUSH” $ TO THE WATERGATE BURGLARS

WOODWARD & BERNSTEIN AT THE WASHINGTON POST NEWSPAPER: § YOUNG REPORTERS BOB WOODWARD AND CARL BERNSTEIN CONTINUED TO INVESTIGATE § LINKED NIXON ADMINISTRATION TO THE BREAK-IN § HELPED BY FBI INFORMANT CODE NAMED “DEEP THROAT” § A SERIES OF ARTICLES BECAME THE BOOK ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN

BERNSTEIN & WOODWARD

THE ELECTION OF 1972

THE ELECTION OF 1972 • DEMOCRATS RAN GEORGE MCGOVERN: § ANTIWAR CANDIDATE • NIXON CAMPAIGN: § CLAIMED HIS POLICIES WERE BRINGING PEACE TO VIETNAM § SAID Mc. GOVERN WAS IN FAVOR OF “ACID, AMNESTY AND ABORTION” • NIXON WINS IN A LANDSLIDE: § 520 TO 17 IN ELECTORAL COLLEGE § 60. 7% TO 37. 5% IN POPULAR VOTE

THE COVER-UP UNRAVELS • DURING THE TRIAL OF THE “PLUMBERS”, Mc. CORD ADMITS HE LIED UNDER OATH • Mc. CORD NAMES JOHN DEAN (LEGAL COUNSEL TO NIXON) AND MITCHELL AS BEING INVOLVED • RESIGNATIONS AND FIRINGS: § DEAN, HALDEMAN, & EHRLICHMAN • NIXON CLAIMS HE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE BREAK-IN • APPOINTS A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO INVESTIGATE (ARCHIBALD COX)

THE COVER-UP UNRAVELS • THE SENATE SETS UP ITS OWN INVESTIGATION • WHITE HOUSE CLAIMS “EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE”: § CONGRESS CAN ONLY QUESTION PAST OR PRESENT EMPLOYEES WITH NIXON’S APPROVAL § VIOLATION OF “CHECKS AND BALANCES”

STARTLING TESTIMONY • DEAN REVEALS NIXON INVOLVED IN COVER-UP • DENIED BY NIXON • IT IS LEARNED THAT NIXON TAPED VIRTUALLY ALL WHITE HOUSE CONVERSATIONS!!! • BOTH THE SENATE AND PROSECUTOR COX DEMAND TO HEAR THE TAPES!

BATTLE OVER THE TAPES • BATTLE FOR THE TAPES: § COX TAKES NIXON TO COURT FOR THE TAPES § NIXON FIRES COX (PROSECUTOR THAT NIXON HIMSELF APPOINTED) § COX IS REPLACED BY LEON JAWORSKI § JAWORSKI IS ALSO DETERMINED TO GET THE TAPES • MEANWHILE. . . VICE PRESIDENT SPIRO AGNEW RESIGNS: § TAX EVASION, EXTORTION, BRIBERY WHILE GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND § GERALD FORD BECOMES NEW VICE PRESIDENT

NIXON RELEASES THE TAPES • 7 PRESIDENTIAL AIDES ARE INDICTED FOR PERJURY AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE • NIXON OFFERS TO RELEASE WRITTEN SUMMARIES OF TAPES • INVESTIGATORS DEMAND ORIGINAL TAPES • NIXON REFUSES, CLAIMING “NATIONAL SECURITY” • COURTS DISAGREE WITH NIXON • NIXON TELLS THE AMERICAN PUBLIC : “I AM NOT A CROOK. ” http: //www. youtube. com/watch ? v=sh 163 n 1 l. J 4 M

NIXON RELEASES THE TAPES • HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE APPROVES IMPEACHMENT ON THREE CHARGES: § OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE § ABUSE OF POWER § CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS (TAPE REFUSAL!) • NIXON TURNS OVER THE TAPES: § SOME TAPES “MISSING” § ONE TAPE HAS AN 18 AND ½ MINUTE “GAP”

NIXON RELEASES THE TAPES • NIXON MAKES MORE TAPES PUBLIC THAT SHOW: § SIX DAYS AFTER THE BREAK-IN NIXON KNEW ABOUT THE BREAK -IN AND AGREED TO HELP COVER IT UP § HAD LIED TO CONGRESS, THE PEOPLE, AND EVEN HIS OWN LAWYER! • THE EVIDENCE WAS OVERWHELMING • THE HOUSE OF REPS. MOVED TO IMPEACH NIXON

THE EFFECTS OF WATERGATE • BEFORE THE IMPEACHMENT VOTE BEGAN NIXON RESIGNED (AUGUST 9, 1974): § ADMITTED NO GUILT § ONLY “ERRORS OF JUDGMENT” • 25 MEMBERS OF THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION SERVED PRISON TERMS RELATED TO WATERGATE • DEEP DISILLUSIONMENT: § PUBLIC AND PRESS REMAIN CYNICAL TOWARDS POLITICIANS AND GOV’T

FORD PARDONS NIXON • BLANKET PARDON: § NO INDICTMENT § “OUR LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE IS OVER” • PUBLIC REACTION: § ANGER – SEEMED LIKE FAVORITISM § SUBORDINATES IN PRISON BUT NIXON PARDONED § FURTHER DISILLUSIONMENT & DISTRUST OF GOVERNMENT