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Mr. Murray

Law and Order/Period 3

24 June 2021

The Scandal of the Century

ABC News classified it as "the political crime story of the century." Bob Woodward, a

reporter for The Washington Post, stated, "Watergate is an immensely complicated scandal with a

cast of characters as varied as a Tolstoy novel." The Watergate scandal dishonored the values of

the government. On June 17, 1972, several people were arrested at the Watergate complex of the

Democratic National Committee, in Washington DC. This was not an ordinary robbery as the

burglars were connected to President Richard Nixon's reelection campaign. President Nixon did

everything in his power to cover up the crimes. However, his role in the conspiracy was exposed,

leading to a downfall in the American government. The Watergate scandal was a national matter

that undermined the government and the law, but it revealed the truth behind the limits of power.

The Watergate scandal occurred because of the aggressive political climate at the time. In

1972, when President Richard Nixon was running for reelection, the United States was divided

over the Vietnam War. President Nixon believed that a fierce campaign was essential for a

victory. The evidence revealed that Nixon's Reelection Committee, known as CREEP, broke into

the Watergate building in May 1972, stole secret documents, and put bugs on office phones.

However, the wiretaps failed to work, so the group broke in again on June 17. Frank Willis, a

security guard, noticed the tape over the door locks, so he alerted the police. The police caught

the robbers, which ignited the fire that would expose President Nixon. Few people questioned

Watergate after President Nixon gave a speech that he was not involved, so he was reelected in a

landslide victory. After the break-in at Watergate, details came out that President Nixon was not

honest. For example, HISTORY expresses, "A few days after the break-in, for instance, [Nixon]
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arranged to provide hundreds of thousands of dollars...to the burglars." In addition, President

Nixon and his accomplices arranged a plan to make the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

obstruct the FBI's investigation. This burglary was becoming a major constitutional crime.

The Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein received critical

information about this case from an anonymous source, "Deep Throat." President Nixon's aides

testified about Nixon's crimes, including secret tapes where Nixon recorded every conversation

in the Oval Office. Those tapes were the key to proving that Nixon was guilty. The House

Judiciary Committee voted to impeach Nixon on the counts of obstruction of justice, abuse of

power, and violations of the US Constitution. On August 5, Nixon released the tapes which

implicated him in the crime. On August 8, Nixon resigned and left office; however, he was

pardoned. President Nixon's abuse of presidential power affected America's political sphere,

causing more distrust in the law and government. The incident that occurred at Watergate is

significant because it forced people worldwide to evaluate the actions of the government and

politicians. The legacy of Watergate has showcased America's political polarization. Watergate is

a mindset that was built through Nixon's presidency, where there were many systematic attempts

to disobey the Constitution and Congress. The Watergate scandal is an integral part of American

history that should be remembered.

Watergate was a problem that uncovered secrets and revealed abuse of power. The

Watergate scandal occurred during and after the Presidential Election in 1972. A break-in at the

Democratic National Committee was connected to President Nixon's reelection campaign. This

break-in untangled a series of lies that implicated several high officials and the President,

Richard Nixon. As a result, the President resigned from office for the first time in history. The

Watergate scandal is an informative event in history that exposed the corruption of power and is

an occurrence in history that is very impactful.