Nixon’s Downfall - Watergate

I Nixon’s Mind Set

II Re-election Campaign – 1972

III Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP)

IV Action: Spy on the Opposition

A Wire tap phone of Democratic National Committee – June 1972

B The link

C Burglars - pleaded guilty and jailed

D “Cover-Up”

V Election

A Landslide Victory for Nixon – 61% of the popular vote

B Did not get Republican congress

VI The Media – The Eastern Establishment

A Washington Post and New York Times

B Key: Washington Post – Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein

C Issue: “Smoking Gun” – Did Nixon Know or Order the Break-in?

VIICongress and Nixon

A Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign

B May 1973 – Senate - Televised Public Hearing

VIII Nixon

A Secret Audio Taping

B Appointed Special Prosecutor -Independent and “Neutral”

C Archibald Cox

D Leon Jaworski – Kept his job

IX Impeachment and Resignation

A House Judiciary Committee – Demanded Release of Tapes

B August 5, 1974: Tapes released: Nixon knew about the cover-up

C August 9, 1974: Nixon Resigned to Avoid Impeachment

D Handing Over the “Red Phone”

E Pardoned by Gerald Ford –

X Legacies of Watergate

A Constitutional Crisis but Check and Balances Work

B Disillusionment of “System” by Voters