1
Watergate: Corruption, Paranoia, and Reforms.
Elliott G. Cooper
Pioneer Jr. Sr. High School.
U. S. History
Mr. Erik Riise
March 4, 2024
2
Watergate: Corruption, Paranoia, and Reforms.
As the 1970s began, America was recovering from tragedies such as the Vietnam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy. As America started recuperating, one of the greatest burglaries in history occurred, shocking the nation. President Richard Nixon was involved in the burglary and scheme, and any progress made with the nation’s citizens was destroyed. America needed a strong leader with integrity, and Nixon’s paranoia did not satisfy American citizens’ needs, for he created negative impacts so great that …show more content…
Gordon Liddy and James W. McCord Jr. were convicted of conspiracy, wiretapping, and burglary (Meyer, 1973). The five other men who were involved in the burglary pleaded guilty (Meyer, 1973). The Watergate case was not just a cover-up scandal, it was a widespread conspiracy. After a couple months, several men from the White House resigned over the scandal; John Dean, a White House counsel who regulated the transfer of the “hush money,” was fired from his position (Johnson and Stern, 1973). The men who left could have possibly been involved in the Watergate scandal, or they did not want to take the risk of being accused of helping the burglars. Woodward and Bernstein, the two investigative reporters from the Post, received special insider information about Watergate from a whistleblower named “Deep Throat.” This info unraveled the Watergate case. Deep Throat was “an old friend and sometimes source who worked for the federal government and did not like to be called at his office,” and “a source in the Executive Branch who had access to information at CRP as well as the White House” (Bernstein & Woodward, 1974, p. 74). Deep Throat gave secret information about how …show more content…
As the Watergate court case unfolds, the cover-up started to gain popularity. James McCord’s letter, released in 1973, confirming that a wider conspiracy exists, was read in open court by Judge John Sirica (History.com Editors, 2023). John Dean, a fired White House counsel, agreed to work with the Post investigators on the case (History.com Editors, 2023). Untrustworthiness towards the President gradually grew and raised more questions and concerns when John Dean confessed in court. John Dean confessed that he was sure that not only did the President know about the Watergate burglary, he also tried to keep the scandal quiet (History.com Editors, 2023). By then, the Watergate investigation was focused on the President and his men’s involvement. Richard Nixon won a landslide victory against his Democratic opponent George McGovern (Perlstein, 2023). After Nixon’s election, the case was still continuing and gradually becoming more obvious the President was involved. Prosecutor Archibald Cox, Judge John Sirica, and other government figures kept demanding the tapes that Nixon kept (History.com Editors, 2023). Then, on October 21, 1973, President Nixon ordered Cox to be fired, and in protest, several Justice Department officials resigned (History.com Editors, 2023). This was known as the Saturday Night Massacre. The massacre raised suspicion towards Nixon, pressuring him to turn over his tapes. President Nixon became more involved in the cover-up and kept attempting to secure
Watergate: Corruption, Paranoia, and Reforms.
Elliott G. Cooper
Pioneer Jr. Sr. High School.
U. S. History
Mr. Erik Riise
March 4, 2024
2
Watergate: Corruption, Paranoia, and Reforms.
As the 1970s began, America was recovering from tragedies such as the Vietnam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy. As America started recuperating, one of the greatest burglaries in history occurred, shocking the nation. President Richard Nixon was involved in the burglary and scheme, and any progress made with the nation’s citizens was destroyed. America needed a strong leader with integrity, and Nixon’s paranoia did not satisfy American citizens’ needs, for he created negative impacts so great that …show more content…
Gordon Liddy and James W. McCord Jr. were convicted of conspiracy, wiretapping, and burglary (Meyer, 1973). The five other men who were involved in the burglary pleaded guilty (Meyer, 1973). The Watergate case was not just a cover-up scandal, it was a widespread conspiracy. After a couple months, several men from the White House resigned over the scandal; John Dean, a White House counsel who regulated the transfer of the “hush money,” was fired from his position (Johnson and Stern, 1973). The men who left could have possibly been involved in the Watergate scandal, or they did not want to take the risk of being accused of helping the burglars. Woodward and Bernstein, the two investigative reporters from the Post, received special insider information about Watergate from a whistleblower named “Deep Throat.” This info unraveled the Watergate case. Deep Throat was “an old friend and sometimes source who worked for the federal government and did not like to be called at his office,” and “a source in the Executive Branch who had access to information at CRP as well as the White House” (Bernstein & Woodward, 1974, p. 74). Deep Throat gave secret information about how …show more content…
As the Watergate court case unfolds, the cover-up started to gain popularity. James McCord’s letter, released in 1973, confirming that a wider conspiracy exists, was read in open court by Judge John Sirica (History.com Editors, 2023). John Dean, a fired White House counsel, agreed to work with the Post investigators on the case (History.com Editors, 2023). Untrustworthiness towards the President gradually grew and raised more questions and concerns when John Dean confessed in court. John Dean confessed that he was sure that not only did the President know about the Watergate burglary, he also tried to keep the scandal quiet (History.com Editors, 2023). By then, the Watergate investigation was focused on the President and his men’s involvement. Richard Nixon won a landslide victory against his Democratic opponent George McGovern (Perlstein, 2023). After Nixon’s election, the case was still continuing and gradually becoming more obvious the President was involved. Prosecutor Archibald Cox, Judge John Sirica, and other government figures kept demanding the tapes that Nixon kept (History.com Editors, 2023). Then, on October 21, 1973, President Nixon ordered Cox to be fired, and in protest, several Justice Department officials resigned (History.com Editors, 2023). This was known as the Saturday Night Massacre. The massacre raised suspicion towards Nixon, pressuring him to turn over his tapes. President Nixon became more involved in the cover-up and kept attempting to secure