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Richard Nixon Watergate Scandal Essay

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The Event That Started the American Publics’ Distrust in the Government The Watergate scandal, which took place during the presidency of Richard Nixon, has become one of the most infamous political scandals in American history. The scandal involved a series of illegal activities carried out by the Nixon administration, including wiretapping, burglary, and the cover-up of these activities. The scandal ultimately led to Nixon's resignation in 1974. One primary source that provides valuable insights into the Watergate scandal is the "White House Tapes," which consists of conversations between Nixon and his aides. These tapes and other evidence have been used to support the argument that the Watergate scandal has shaped and justified the public's …show more content…

Haldeman(White House Chief of Staff) discuss the need to find a fall guy, including the “CIA” and the “Cubans”. Haldeman tells Nixon they will have an associate from the CIA “call” Pat Gray(Director of FBI) to “stay the hell out of this” and “we don't want you going any further”, which directly contradicts Nixon’s prior statements, that he did not interfere with FBI investigations. This conversation demonstrates that the Nixon administration was willing to use the CIA as a scapegoat to cover up their involvement in the Watergate scandal. The Nixon administration made "hush money" payments to the burglars involved in the break-in at Watergate. These payments aimed to buy the burglars' silence and conceal the Nixon administration's level of involvement in the scandal. Furthermore, Nixon also paid his "White House aids" to maintain their silence. In essence, the Watergate scandal was not just about the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, but also about the Nixon administration's efforts to cover up its involvement and silence those who could reveal the truth. The payments served as a means to ensure the burglars' silence, and Nixon's attempts to shift blame and pay off his aides demonstrated his desperation to conceal his administration's

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