The Case
Summary
Summary
In 1971, President Nixon ordered the installation of a system that would record conversations that happened in the Oval Office. When it was discovered that five men had broken into the Democratic National Committee Headquarters to bug the building, the connection to CREEP was immediately established through financial records. Nixon went public to express his innocence, and he ordered John Dean, the White House Counsel at the time, to investigate the White House's involvement in the incident; Dean, however, refused to submit a false report to Congress as ordered by Nixon, so he began to testify against him before Congress. Dean was fired from his job as White House Counsel and subsequently spent 4 months in prison after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice. Nixon, still insisting on his innocence, refused to turn over the transcripts of the conversations he held in the Oval Office to the courts, citing executive privilege. His offer to turn them over redacted was rejected, and the Supreme Court ruled that he had to turn them over non redacted in the case "Nixon v. United States." The case decided that the Special Counsel appointed to investigate the President could override Nixon's executive privilege to refuse to hand over subpoenaed information.
In 1971, President Nixon ordered the installation of a system that would record conversations that happened in the Oval Office. When it was discovered that five men had broken into the Democratic National Committee Headquarters to bug the building, the connection to CREEP was immediately established through financial records. Nixon went public to express his innocence, and he ordered John Dean, the White House Counsel at the time, to investigate the White House's involvement in the incident; Dean, however, refused to submit a false report to Congress as ordered by Nixon, so he began to testify against him before Congress. Dean was fired from his job as White House Counsel and subsequently spent 4 months in prison after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice. Nixon, still insisting on his innocence, refused to turn over the transcripts of the conversations he held in the Oval Office to the courts, citing executive privilege. His offer to turn them over redacted was rejected, and the Supreme Court ruled that he had to turn them over non redacted in the case "Nixon v. United States." The case decided that the Special Counsel appointed to investigate the President could override Nixon's executive privilege to refuse to hand over subpoenaed information.
The Outcome
The Outcome
Nixon signed his resignation letter in August of 1974, and his former Vice President Gerald Ford, who was sworn in after Nixon's resignation, pardoned him for any wrongdoings he may have committed as President. In total 41 people were convicted as a consequence of the Watergate Scandal.
Nixon signed his resignation letter in August of 1974, and his former Vice President Gerald Ford, who was sworn in after Nixon's resignation, pardoned him for any wrongdoings he may have committed as President. In total 41 people were convicted as a consequence of the Watergate Scandal.