On June 17, 1972, the Watergate Affair began, one of the biggest political scandals in the history of the United States, which would lead to the resignation of President Richard Nixon two years later.
Five burglars with surgical gloves
On the night of June 16/17, 1972, five men were arrested at Democratic Party headquarters on the sixth floor of the Watergate Building in Washington.
The “fake plumbers” who wear surgical gloves are equipped with cameras and listening devices.
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This image, courtesy of the US National Archives and Records Administration, taken in 1972, shows US Government Exhibit 2 against Liddy, a photograph of an aerial view of the Watergate East and Watergate West office buildings in Washington, DC.
The next day, the Washington Post ran its front page about this strange break-in, which took place in the midst of Republican President Richard Nixon’s campaign.
Two young journalists, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, insist on the presence of James McCord, a member of President Nixon’s reelection committee, among the five intruders. The man is also a former CIA.
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In this file photo taken on June 13, 2012 is Washington Post Associate Editor Bob Woodward.
For reporters, the connection to the White House is obvious.
On June 22, Richard Nixon denied any involvement by his administration. Oddly enough, the case doesn’t interest public opinion.
“Deep Throat”
The two reporters soon learn that two men who worked for Nixon and his special adviser Charles Colson guided the “burglars” with walkie-talkies from a hotel near Watergate.
Her source: “Deep Throat”, nickname borrowed from a porn film that was popular at the time.
We’ll learn in 2005 that this is Mark Felt, Deputy Director of the FBI.
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Mark Felt (Deep Throat): The man who brought down the White House.
Between October 1972 and November 1973, he met Bob Woodward six times in a parking lot near Washington.
On October 10, 1972, the two journalists uncovered a gigantic espionage scandal and political sabotage carried out by the White House on the occasion of Nixon’s re-election.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars in Nixon campaign funds were diverted to fund Democratic destabilization operations.
Despite the controversy, Richard Nixon was triumphantly re-elected on November 6 against Democrat George McGovern.
Democratic senators launch investigation
On January 8, 1973, the trial of the Watergate “burglars” opened almost indifferently.
On February 7, the Democratic Senate majority established a commission of inquiry into the 1972 campaign.
Broadcast on television, the audience quickly captivates the Americans.
Shortly thereafter, James McCord admitted to having lied in court under pressure from the White House.
On April 30, Attorney General Richard Kleindienst and two presidential advisers – Bob Haldeman and John Ehrlichman – resign.
A third advisor – John W. Dean – is fired.
On June 25, he assured the Commission that the President had known about the measures taken to cover up the burglary affair since September 15, 1972.
He also claims the President was willing to buy the burglars’ silence for nearly a million dollars.
He is the first witness to directly implicate Mr. Nixon.
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In this file photo taken on June 13, 2002, a photographer takes a photo evidence of the infamous Watergate burglary at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters in the Watergate Office Building in Washington on June 17, 1972.
The Oval Office is bugged
Thunderbolt on July 16: A White House official told the commission that the Oval Office was full of microphones.
This secret listening device was installed in 1970 for historical purposes. This is the beginning of a new scandal.
On July 23, Nixon refused to submit these recordings to the commission.
Cornered by the judiciary, he ended on October 20 with the delivery of nine tapes. But two tapes are missing, and a conversation between Nixon and his advisor Dean on June 20, 1972, three days after the Watergate burglary is unaudible.
Resign before impeachment
On May 9, 1974, the House Judiciary Committee began investigating whether to begin impeachment proceedings against the President.
On July 24, after a year of bitter fighting, the Supreme Court orders the President to hand over all the tapes. With his back against the wall, Nixon obeyed on August 5th.
On July 30, the commission brought three charges against him: obstruction of justice, abuse of power and refusal to submit to subpoenas. The termination procedure is final.
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The 37th President of the United States, Richard Nixon, bids farewell to White House staff in this August 9, 1974 file photo. At left is his son-in-law David Eisenhower (grandson of US President Dwight Eisenhower) who is married to his daughter Julie.
To avoid the affront, Richard Nixon announced his retirement on August 8, a first in the United States.
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In this August 1974 file photo, US Republican President Richard Nixon delivers a speech at the White House after resigning from the presidency following the Watergate scandal. Richard Nixon was elected in 1968 and re-elected in 1972.
On September 8, his successor Gerald Ford pardoned him.