Watergate: The Cover-Up That Ended a Presidency
From the DNC break-in to Nixon’s resignation — the conspiracy that proved the conspiracy
The Break-In
On June 17, 1972, five men were arrested inside the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. They were carrying cameras, electronic surveillance equipment, and sequentially numbered $100 bills. Among those arrested was James McCord, security coordinator for the Committee to Re-Elect the President (CRP, widely known as CREEP). The connection to Nixon’s reelection campaign was immediate, though the White House dismissed the incident as a “third-rate burglary.”
The burglars had been directed by G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt, both former intelligence operatives working for the White House and CRP. The break-in was part of a broader campaign of political espionage and sabotage — codenamed “Gemstone” — that included wiretapping, document theft, and the use of “dirty tricks” operatives to disrupt Democratic primary campaigns.
The Cover-Up
Within days of the arrests, President Richard Nixon and his senior aides began organizing a cover-up. White House Counsel John Dean coordinated payments of hush money to the burglars, totaling approximately $500,000. Acting FBI Director L. Patrick Gray destroyed evidence at the direction of White House aides. Nixon personally directed the CIA to obstruct the FBI’s investigation by falsely claiming national security concerns — a conversation captured on the White House taping system on June 23, 1972, just six days after the break-in. This recording became known as the “smoking gun tape.”
Investigation and Unraveling
Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein published a series of investigative articles connecting the break-in to broader White House operations. Their primary confidential source, known as “Deep Throat,” was later revealed in 2005 to be FBI Associate Director W. Mark Felt.
The Senate Watergate Committee, chaired by Senator Sam Ervin, held televised hearings beginning in May 1973. White House aide Alexander Butterfield disclosed the existence of the secret taping system on July 13, 1973, fundamentally altering the investigation. Special Prosecutors Archibald Cox and Leon Jaworski subpoenaed the tapes. Nixon fired Cox in the “Saturday Night Massacre” of October 20, 1973, prompting the resignations of Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus.
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in United States v. Nixon (1974) that the president had to surrender the tapes. The smoking gun tape, released on August 5, 1974, proved Nixon had directed the cover-up from its earliest days.
Consequences
Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974 — the only U.S. president to do so. On September 8, 1974, President Gerald Ford granted Nixon a full and unconditional pardon for any crimes he “committed or may have committed” during his presidency.
In total, 40 government officials were indicted or jailed in connection with Watergate, including Attorney General John Mitchell, White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman, Domestic Policy Advisor John Ehrlichman, and White House Counsel John Dean (who cooperated with prosecutors).
Research Verdict
| Assessment | CONFIRMED |
| Confidence | High |
| Summary | President Nixon and senior White House officials conspired to cover up the Watergate break-in through obstruction of justice, destruction of evidence, and abuse of government agencies |