Watergate Research Paper

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The Watergate Scandal No book that addresses conspiracies, cover-ups and crimes of State would be complete without the presence of Richard Nixon, Tricky Dick as he was known by his countrymen. Watergate is, almost surely, the most famous conspiracy of all time. Today, the Watergate scandal became the typical example that comes to my mind when we talk about dirty games of politics, corruption, extortion, illegal wiretapping, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, destruction of evidence, tax fraud, illegal use of intelligence and security forces, illegal financing of parties and misappropriation of public funds, all of them, matters on which we have some knowledge. These illegal activities, more typical of organized crime than the…show more content…
It began with the invasion and interference in telephone lines of the headquarters of the Democratic campaign. The invasion was committed on June 17, 1972 by a team of five men who were caught in fraganti inside the offices of the Democratic Party in the Watergate building in Washington. Their arrest revealed a plan of illegal wiretapping and spying on political opponents backed by the White House, and senior officials of the country were implied in the plan, including former inspector-general John Mitchell, the presidential adviser John Dean, the Chief of Staff of the White House H. R. Haldeman, the assessor for the National Affairs John Ehrlichman, and the head of them all, President Richard Nixon. In May 1973, the Commission on Presidential Activities of the U.S. Senate heard a series of stunning revelations that gave the scandal a dimension greater than they had. John Dean testified that the president was aware of the operation and had authorized the payment to the assailants to keep them in silence, something that was vehemently denied by the Nixon Administration. Thereafter, scandals followed with an unusual speed and virtually, everyday signs of new illegal acts by the Nixon team appeared. Finally, and to avoid almost certain impeachment, Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974. A month later, his successor, Gerald Ford, exonerated him of all crimes he might have committed during his mandate, getting him safe from any

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