Crisis in the Presidency
The Nixon White House
 Ignored the Constitution

1.
Impounded funds

2.
U.S. troops invaded Cambodia

3.
Released patient records of Daniel
Ellsberg – Pentagon Papers

4.
Nicknamed “Imperial Presidency” – “King
Richard”
Nixon
 made his reputation in the 1940s by hounding
alleged communists (Alger Hiss)
 surrounded himself with trusted and loyal aides
“palace guard” – H.R. Haldeman (chief of staff)
and John Ehrlichman
Erlichman and Haldeman
 1971 – orders Chuck Colson to put together “enemies
list” – 200 people – 18 organizations

a.
mostly liberals

b.
all black leadership in the House
 After invasion of Cambodia: FBI, CIA, NSA, DIA, IRS
work together to combat anti-war movement
 Goal: break into homes and offices to find info to
discredit or blackmail Nixon’s critics
CREEPs
 CREEP – Committee to Re-elect the President
 1.
run by John Mitchell – former Attorney General
 2.
raised massive amounts of illegal funds – some went
to the “dirty tricks” campaign
 3.
G. Gordon Liddy – came up with the idea to break
into the Dem. National Headquarters

a.
copy documents
b.
bug phones
c.
keep tabs on Dem. election strategy
d.
offices located at the Watergate complex
CREEPs
John Mitchell
G. Gordon Liddy
Unraveling Watergate – June 1972
 Washington Post learns 2 of the burglars were
members of CREEP
1.
burglars had been paid by CREEP funds
(anti-Castro Cuban refugees, ex-CIA and
FBI agents)
2.
Watergate only one of many illegal
activities planned and paid for by CREEP
Watergate Burglars
Frank Wills – Watergate Security
October 10, 1972
 Washington Post asserts Watergate was part of a
massive campaign of political spying and sabotage
 Nixon worked hard to bury the story
 1972 election – only 48% of Americans had heard of
Watergate
Washington Post
Bob Woodward
Carl Bernstein
Watergate Trial – early 1973
 Judge John J. Sirica
 Watergate burglars go on trial
 James McCord writes a letter to Sirica
a. Whitehouse lied about involvement
b. pressured burglars to plead guilty and remain
silent
 April 1973 – Ehrlichman, Dean, Haldeman all resign
 Whitehouse counsel John Dean testifies that there was
a cover-up and Nixon approved it
Key Witnesses
James McCord
John Dean
Tapes – Alexander
Butterfield
 Nixon had bugged his own office
 was ordered to turn them over – claims
executive privilege
 tries to get Cox (special prosecutor) fired
 finally turns over “edited” tapes – many gaps
 U.S. v. Nixon – Nixon has to turn over unedited tapes
Move for Impeachment – July 30,
1974
 Obstructing Justice
 Violating rights of U.S. citizens
 Defying Congress – Perjury
 1. tapes proved Nixon knew everything
 2. August 7, 1974 – resigned from office
Farewell – “I am not a crook”
Aftermath
 Gerald Ford becomes President
 Congress enacts laws to curb Presidential power
1. Privacy Act
2. War Powers Act
3. Federal Election Campaign Act – limits on contributions
 31 Nixon administration officials go to jail
 Ford pardoned Nixon
 threatened the foundation of American democracy
 Vietnam, Watergate undermined the nation’s self-confidence –
Created Credibility Gap