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The start of the Scandal
A group within the committee to reelect the president made plans to wiretap the phones at the Democratic National Committee Headquarters at the Watergate apartment complex in Washington D.C. -
Tried and failed
The first attempt failed. Five men were arrested. The money they carried was traced directly to Nixon's reelection campaign, linking the break-in to the campaign. The break-in and the coverup that resulted became known as the Watergate Scandal. -
Watergate Trial
At the trial, all the defendants either pleaded guilty or were found guilty. The judge was not conviced that the whole story had been told. He sentenced the burglars to long prison terms, suggesting that their terms could be reduced if they cooperated with upcoming Senate hearings on Watergate. -
Nixon's Honesty
In an effort to demonstrate his honestly, Nixon agreed to the appointment of a special prosecutor for the Watergate Affair. A special prosecutor works for the Justice Department and conducts an investigation into claims wrongdoing by government officials. -
Saturday Night Massacre
The Watergate special prosecutor, Archibald Cox insisted that Nixon release the Whitehouse Tapes. Nixon ordered him fired. Beginning a series of resignations and firings that became known as the Saturday Night Massacre. -
Vote to impeach Nixon
After the Saturday Night Massacre, congress began the process of determining if they should impeach the president, or charge him with misconduct while in office. Summer of 1974, the House Judiciary Committee voted to impeach Nixon on numerous charges. -
Nixon resigns
After Nixon released the tape, proving he was im=nvolved in the coverup, he resigned. He was the first ever president to do so. Gerald Ford was sworn in as the New President,
