Who:
The Watergate Scandal involved prominent government officials from President Richard Nixon’s administration, including the president himself, along with the FBI. Others included John Mitchell, US Attorney General, John Dean, White House Counsel, HR Haldman, Chief of Staff, John Ehrlichman, Assistant on Domestic Affairs plus 5 common burglars that were arrested. Reporters of the case were the famous Woodward & Berstein team from the Washington Post and their secret unidentified source (until recently after his death) Deepthroat. Howard Hunt and Gordon Liddy, white house staff members, were considered to be the “brains” behind the break in.
What:
The Watergate Scandal was a break in at the office of the Democratic National Convention during the Presidential Election of 1972. Men were arrested for breaking into the Watergate Hotel in D.C., the headquarters of the Democratic National Convention to plant “bugs” and tape recording devices as well as taking photos of important documents used to spy on the Democratic party. Republican campaign funds were used to fund these illegal activities. President Nixon denied all allegations of his involvement however, he ended up resigning from office in 1974, due to the process of impeachment that had been initiated as a result of the fiasco.
When:
In 1972, during the Presidential Election Campaign to re-elect incumbent Richard Nixon, an infamous scandal had been set into motion. After much investigation, press, government money spent, and horrific allegations made against the President of the United States for illegal activity during his election campaign. It concluded a notorious case in 1974, resulting in the resignation of the president from office.
Where:
The break in occurred at the Watergate Hotel in Washington D.C.. Secret wire tapping and tape recordings were listened to back at the Oval Office on Capitol Hill. Various offices of those involved were included in the investigation and of course, the U.S. Supreme Court held all the investigative hearings.
Why :
In an effort to secure re-election, members of the Republican party and Nixon’s staff decided to illegally break into Democratic Party Headquarters and take photos of documents and plant wire tapping devices thru the office. They had hopes of gaining information that would either incriminate the Democrats or give the Republicans an edge in the election. Part of the scandal was actually the coverup to protect the President’s involvement.
Consequences:
The Watergate Scandal resulted in the resignation of President Richard Nixon, and scared his political reputation. It pretty much changed the way the general public perceived politicians with an air of suspicion and distrust. The scandal proved to be the first time legal proceedings were ever televised for the general public and the world to witness. A more positive result of the scandal was that the “Freedom of Information Act” was strengthened allowing more public access to government related documents.
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