Cases in American Political Leadership: Nixon: Watergate, Part I

For Thursday, Matthews, ch. 27.

Today:

Porter
Nick Taubenheim
Anne

Presentations on Thu:

Julian
Eman
Julia
Luke
Nick Teresi
Brian (via Zoom)

Domestic Intelligence Origins

Hoover

J. Edgar Hoover had bugged King aide Stanley Levison. In October 63, RFK approves wiretaps on MLK's home and SCLC office. Hoover has Kennedy files, so he cannot refuse.
Hoover dies on May 5, 1972. L. Patrick Gray succeeds him. Associate Director Mark Felt does not

Abuses

E. Howard Hunt spied on Goldwater's headquarters for CIA
Nixon thought that LBJ had bugged him.
How did LBJ know of RN's Chennault connection?
Nixon blamed JFK for an audit, demanded IRS go after his enemies .

The Pentagon Papers and the Plumbers

The 1972 campaign

From last time: Nixon did not have a commanding lead at first.
Nixon holds RNC at arm's length; tries to distance himself. CREEP runs the campaign.
Old campaign finance rules allow a lot of money to come in: slack resources lead to mischief

"Follow the Money" -- Something that Deep Throat Did Not Actually Say

Prelude 1967: States complete ratification of the 25th Amendment

May 28, 1972 Electronic surveillance ("bugging") equipment is installed at Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate building.

June 17, 1972 Five men are arrested while attempting to repair the surveillance equipment at Democratic National Committee headquarters. TO THIS DAY, NOBODY KNOWS THE TRUE MOTIVE FOR THE BREAK-IN.

June 19, 1972: Deep Throat (Mark Felt) tells Bob Woodward that Hunt was part of the conspiracy.

June 23, 1972: Nixon and Haldeman discuss how to obstruct justice. This conversation will end Nixon's presidency.

August 1, 1972: The Post reports that a $25k check made out to CREEP Midwest Finance Chair Ken Dahlberg ended up in a bank account of Watergate burglar Bernard Barker.

August 30, 1972: President Nixon announces that John Dean has completed an investigation into the Watergate buggings and that no one from the White House is involved.

September 15, 1972: Bernard Barker, Virgilio Gonzalez, E. Howard Hunt, G. Gordon Liddy, Eugenio Martinez, James W. McCord, Jr., and Frank Sturgis are indicted for their roles in the June break‑in.

October 10, 1972: According to the Post, FBI agents have established that the Watergate bugging incident stemmed from a massive campaign of political spying and sabotage directed by officials of the White House and CREEP

January 8, 1973 Watergate break‑in trial opens. Hunt pleads guilty (January 11); Barker, Sturgis, Martinez, and Gonzalez plead guilty (January 15); Liddy and McCord are convicted on all counts of break‑in indictment (January 30).

February 7, 1973 U.S. Senate creates Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities.

March 17, 1973: Watergate burglar McCord writes a letter to Judge John Sirica, claiming that some of his testimony was perjured under pressure and that the burglary was not a CIA operation, but had involved other government officials, thereby leading the investigation to the White House.

April 17, 1973 President Nixon announces that members of the White House staff will appear before the Senate Committee and promises major new developments in the investigation and real progress toward finding the truth.

April 23, 1973 White House issues a statement denying President Nixon had prior knowledge of Watergate affair.