Watergate: Nixon's Downfall

1. How were the "plumbers" connected to President Nixon?
Because they plugged leaks to make sure that government secrets didn't get out and dug up dirt to tell the public about the opponent of Nixon. They also broke in at Watergate.

2. Who was the judge? Why did he hand out maximum sentences?
John Sirica that people in high places were doing bad things and so he had to do something in order to get them to confessing to lying under oath.

3. How were Mitchell and Dean connected to Nixon?
They played key roles in Nixon's 1968 election victory and now helped the president direct White House policy.

4. How were Haldeman and Erlichman connected to Nixon?
Haldeman was the white house chief of staff and Erlichman was the chief of domestic advisor and also helped Nixon's 1968 victory.

5. What did the following men tell the Senate about Nixon?

a. Dean- "What did he know and when did he know it?" and referred to one meeting with the president where he and several advisors discussed strategies for continuing the deceit.

b. Butterfield- He told the Senate that Nixon had recorded virtually all of his conversations and so the Senate could know what Nixon knew and when he knew it.

6. Who was fired or forced to resign in the "massacre"?
Haldenman, Erlichman and Attorney General Richard Kleindiest.

7. Why weren't investigators satisified with the transcripts?
Because they wanted to hear the unedited tapes.

8. What did the tapes reveal?
White House conversations about Watergate.

9. Why did Vice President Spiro Agnew resign?
After it had been revealed that while he was governor of Maryland he had accepted bribes from engineering firms.

10. What did the House Judiciary Committee charge President Nixon with?
Obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress for refusing to obey a congressional subpoena to release the tapes.

11. How did the Watergate scandal create a constitutional crisis?
Because after it and Vietnam the American public and the media developed a general cynicism about public officials that still exists today.