Watergate

WATERGATE REFERS TO the political scandal that broke in 1972, and forced Richard Nixon to resign as president of the United States two years later. The Watergate scandal began with a June 17, 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. The resulting cover-up led to Nixon's resignation on August 9, 1974. Five men were arrested for breaking into the headquarters; the men were carrying electronic surveillance equipment. These five, along with two other accomplices, were tried and convicted. All seven men were either directly or indirectly employees of Nixon's Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP).

The media played a major role in the unraveling of the Nixon administration. The Washington Post pursued the story and linked the burglary and burglars to CREEP. Some have stated that Watergate was nothing but a media-created issue. In fact, Watergate was not a significant factor in the outcome of the 1972 presidential campaign. Richard Nixon won re-election by a landslide. During the campaign, the media gave Watergate little coverage. Media labels, such as “Deep Throat,” the “Watergate caper,” “the Saturday night massacre,” and “the smoking gun,” helped fuel the public perception of the unraveling events of Watergate. Through the use of an informant, nicknamed “Deep Throat,” Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncovered information suggesting that knowledge of the break-in [Page 864]and attempts to cover it up led directly to the White House. In his memoirs, Richard Nixon believed that public opinion was the critical factor in what he called the “overriding of my landslide mandate,” referring to his 1972 landslide victory over George McGovern. The effects of the Watergate scandal did not by any means end with Nixon's resignation and the imprisonment of some of his aides. The effect on the upcoming House and Senate elections only months after his resignation was enormous. Disappointed with the Republican Party, voters across the country voted overwhelmingly for Democrats; even in districts that had been Republican strongholds for decades.

After President Richard Nixon resigned following the Watergate affair, Nixon was pardoned by his successor Gerald Ford. Above, the House Judiciary Subcommittee questions Ford on pardoning Nixon on October 17, 1974.

On May 16, 1973, President Nixon had asked congress to create an independent commission to propose ways of reforming the federal election process. Among the proposals, the president suggested the commission might consider were constitutional amendments changing House member's terms to four years and the president's terms to six years without the possibility of re-election. The president also suggested that a commission examine campaign financing and reporting, the length of campaigns, and methods of combating unfair campaign practices. Nixon said, “I believe that reform is essential and urgent.” On April 30, 1974, Nixon discussed the Watergate affair on national television. He said he planned to ask both parties to work for new rules that would ensure clean campaigns in the future. Some suggested that Nixon's proposals stemmed from reaction against the Watergate affair.

The president's attorney suggested that Watergate presented a “unique opportunity” for bipartisan action on federal campaign practices. On January 7, 1974, the Senate Watergate investigating committee stated that it [Page 865]might recommend limiting presidential terms to one term if abuses in the 1972 Nixon re-election campaign proved serious enough. The committee also considered including a “radically new campaign financing system that would severely curtail the amount of private monies that could be contributed.” The committee said that the possible recommendations hinged on the availability of more evidence. After Watergate, there were concerns about the scope of executive power. Congress established new programs aimed at increasing executive transparency and reducing corruption.

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