The Plumbers - ANSWERRichard Nixon's first abuse of power did not come with Watergate. Instead, it involved an organization named the Plumbers and the Pentagon Papers. The Plumbers were a secret intelligence staff organized by President Nixon to investigate people he did not trust.
Pentagon Pape...
The Plumbers - ANSWERRichard Nixon's first abuse of power did not come with Watergate. Instead,
it involved an organization named the Plumbers and the Pentagon Papers. The Plumbers were a
secret intelligence staff organized by President Nixon to investigate people he did not trust.
Pentagon Papers - ANSWERIn 1971, Daniel Ellsberg, who had previously been a national security
advisor, started leaking information to the press about American involvement in Vietnam. This was in
the form of the Pentagon Papers which detailed American involvement in the war. The Plumbers
were tasked with stopping the leak of information and with discrediting Ellsberg. It is believed that
this was the beginning of Nixon's illegal use of power and privilege.
What was the Watergate Scandal? - ANSWERWhat was the Watergate Scandal?
The Watergate Scandal was a scandal involving a plot by President Richard Nixon and people working
with him to spy on the Democratic headquarters in the time leading up to Nixon's re-election
campaign. Furthermore, it involved the coverup of that crime. Ultimately, it led to many arrests,
convictions, prison terms, and the resignation and then pardon of Nixon. The scandal is called
Watergate because the Democratic Party Headquarters was located in the Watergate office complex.
The Saturday Night Massacre - ANSWERNixon had been able to convince the public for a while that
he had nothing to do with the break in at Watergate. This did not last, however. Along with the
Senate Investigative Committee, reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein and trial judge John J.
Sirica started to believe that a cover up was happening.
Two things started to happen that pointed towards Nixon's involvement: first, some of the
conspirators started to give information to authorities, and second, Woodward and Bernstein were
being leaked information by a secret informant who they called ''Deep Throat.''
During testimony, it came out that Nixon had secretly taped everything that happened in the White
House. Investigators attempted to get these tapes because they were told they would prove Nixon's
guilt. Sirica and Cox fought to get these tapes, but Nixon's lawyers claimed executive privilege in
order to keep them secret.
In what became known as the Saturday Night Massacre, Nixon fired special prosecutor, Archibald
Cox, who was not privy to the Watergate events. Others resigned in protest. This did not stop the
investigation, however. Nixon originally submitted some of the tapes but was ultimately forced to
hand over them all.
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