The Watergate scandal was a political scandal that shocked the U.S. in the early 1970s. It occurred during the presidency of Richard Nixon and it involved the illegal activities of several individuals associated with the Nixon administration. Members of the Committee to Re-elect the President (CRP) and White House staff members were also engaged in the scandal. Watergate was provoked by the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. on June 17, 1972. The break-in was executed by a group of burglars who were later linked to the CRP. The individuals involved in the break-in and cover-up included CRP chairman John Mitchell, White House Counsel John Dean, and White House Chief of Staff …show more content…
At the time, he was aware of the break-in and participated in efforts to hide its occurrence by authorizing the creation of a special investigative unit, known as the "plumbers," to prevent leaks of sensitive information. These “plumbers” included G. Gordon Liddy, E. Howard Hunt, and James McCord, all of whom were involved in the planning and completion of the Watergate break-in. Nixon also ordered the CIA to inhibit the FBI's investigation into the Watergate break-in. Thankfully for the investigation, Nixon was caught saying this on tape, as well as discussing hush money payments for the burglars involved. The cover-up had been successful for over two years before the discovery of the tapes that voiced Nixon's complicity. When these tapes were subpoenaed by Congress, Nixon refused to comply with the request and cited his executive privilege. The Supreme Court ruled that Nixon’s executive privilege did not apply in this specific case and ordered the tapes to be turned over to authorities. Facing possible impeachment and removal from office, Nixon resigned from his presidency on August 8, 1974. Several of his close associates were convicted as well. Chelsea Spenser writes that “as details about the Watergate break-in came to light over the course of 1973, reports and