How Did The Watergate Scandal History

The Watergate Scandal History: In the early morning hours of June 17, 1972, a night guard at a D.C. hotel and office complex was making his rounds when he noticed a suspiciously taped-open exit door. He quickly alerted the authorities, setting off a series of events that would forever change the nation, becoming known as the Watergate Scandal (Watergate,” n.d.). The Watergate scandal is one of the most infamous political scandals in American history. It began when several burglars were arrested in the office of the Democratic National Committee, located in the Watergate complex of buildings in Washington, D.C. The burglars, found to be connected to President Richard Nixon’s reelection campaign, had been caught wiretapping phones, disseminating

With the key perpetrators being high-ranking officials such as President Richard Nixon himself, along with his aides and advisors (HISTORY.COM EDITORS, 2023). Nixon took aggressive steps to cover up the crimes, but when Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein revealed his role, it further brought the scandal to light. The motivation behind the scandal seems to be Nixon's desire to maintain power and control by being elected for his second presidency term by having an edge over his opponents. Many other methods were used in the Watergate Scandal including actions such as the bugging of political opponents' offices, unauthorized investigations, and the misuse of government agencies for political purposes (HISTORY.COM EDITORS, 2023). More than 40 years later, the word Watergate became synonymous with political crime and corruption. It even became so ingrained in our country’s collective conscience that just adding “-gate” to the end of a word instantly signifies a scandal (“Watergate,” n.d.). The associates of the scandal faced legal repercussions, with some serving jail time for their roles in the conspiracy (HISTORY.COM EDITORS,