THE WATERGATE SCANDAL : THE WATERGATE SCANDAL
WHAT WAS WATERGATE? : WHAT WAS WATERGATE? Watergate was a U.S. scandal involving a burglary and wiretapping of the Democratic party’s campaign headquarters.
On June 17, 1972, five men were caught in the offices of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate apartment and office complex in Washington, D.C.
“THE PLUMBERS” : “THE PLUMBERS” The five men arrested were known as the “Plumbers.”
They had originally been organized to break into Elsberg’s psychiatrist’s office and discredit him after he began publishing the Pentagon Papers in “The New York Times.”
THE PAPERS : THE PAPERS The Pentagon Papers was a classified file that had the potential to discredit the U.S. Government.
It described the unethical and deceitful acts of former U.S. Presidents.
AFTER THE ARREST : AFTER THE ARREST “The Plumbers,” arrest uncovered the White House- sponsored plan of espionage against political opponents and a trail of complicity that to many of the highest officials in the land. John Mitchell
John Dean
H.R. Haldeman
John Ehrlichman
Richard Nixon
THE INVESTIGATION : THE INVESTIGATION One year after the arrest, Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Dean, and Kleindienst resigned.
Elliot Richardson, Attorney General, began a full scale investigation of the Watergate break-in.
HEARINGS : HEARINGS May 1973, open hearings, Dean testified that Mitchell opened the break-in and that a major attempt was under way to hide White House involvement.