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Chapter 25 Section 3 The Watergate Scandal

Chapter 25 Section 3 The Watergate Scandal. Content at A Glance. The 1972 presidential election was coming up; Nixon and his staff were determined to win even if this meant committing crimes. Paranoid President…Paranoid staff.

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Chapter 25 Section 3 The Watergate Scandal

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  1. Chapter 25 Section 3The Watergate Scandal

  2. Content at A Glance • The 1972 presidential election was coming up; Nixon and his staff were determined to win even if this meant committing crimes.

  3. Paranoid President…Paranoid staff • Enemies list: list of influential people who didn’t like Nixon, decided to “harass” them. • Wiretaps: Nixon told Kissinger to tap phones of White House staff. • FBI director J. Edgar Hoover was already tapping phones and opening mail of radicals.

  4. Paranoid President…Paranoid Staff • The Plumbers: Stop gov’t leaks. • 1971: The Pentagon Papers told how gov’t had lied about Vietnam. • More leaks continued,….so the plumbers bribed. • Illegal campaign funding tactics tried to sabotage other candidates by lying about them to media, spied on other candidates. • This is called mudslinging

  5. Watergate Break-In • Wiretap phones at Dem. National Convention (it was illegal because they had to break in) • Five men were arrested from Nixon’s campaign. • Nixon asked the CIA to get the FBI to stop investigation b/c it involved “national security”. • Nixon was NOT part of the break it but he was part of the cover-up. • Nixon was reelected in 1972.

  6. Watergate Scandal Unfolds • Trial of Watergate burglars started Jan. 1973, all were found guilty • Nixon approved money to defendants to keep them quiet. • Judge gave them 40yrs, but promised to reduce it if they cooperated in the Senate hearings.

  7. Saturday Night Massacre • Nixon agreed to the appointment of a new prosecutor Archibald Cox. He then asked for the tapes. • Nixon ordered him fired on Oct. 20 1973 • This triggered a series of resignation and firings • Jaworski, Cox’s replacement also asked for the tapes

  8. Edited transcripts of the Tapes • Vice President Spiro Agnew accused of evading taxes and taking bribes. • House Judiciary Committee voted to impeach the President. • To remove him the House of Reps would have to vote for impeachment, the Senate would then hold a trial and then 2/3 of the Senators present voting to convict. • On August 5th Nixon finally released the tapes with an 18 minute gap • Aug 8th, Nixon goes on TV and announced he would leave the office • Nixon is the first President to ever resign • Many Americans lost faith and trust in the government • President Ford takes office!

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