The Watergate Scandal & the Fall of Nixon

1. The Watergate Scandal & the Fall of Nixon

2. Election of 1972 (CRP) • The Committee for the Re-Election of the President, abbreviated CRP but often mocked by the acronym CREEP, was a fundraising organization of Richard Nixon’s administration. Besides its re-election activities, CRP employed money laundering & slush funds & was directly and actively involved in the Watergate Scandal

3. Election of 1972

4. June 17, 1972 Break-ins

5. Washington Post (Woodward & Bernstein)

6. Secret Tapes

7. The Tapes… • Recently all sounds are recorded in the Oval Office, Cabinet Room, as well as, Nixon’s private office in the OEOB • White House was reluctant to release them because they would incriminate Nixon

8. Executive Privilege

9. U.S. v. Nixon

10. Is the President's right to safeguard certain information, using his "executive privilege" confidentiality power, entirely immune from judicial review? No! The Court held that neither the doctrine of separation of powers, nor the generalized need for confidentiality of high-level communications, w/out more, can sustain an absolute, unqualified, presidential privilege. The Court granted that there was a limited executive privilege in areas of military or diplomatic affairs, but gave preference to "the fundamental demands of due process of law in the fair administration of justice." Therefore, the president must obey the subpoena & produce the tapes & documents. Nixon resigned shortly after the release of the tapes.

11. Resignation

12. Pardon