Richard Kleindienst

Richard Gordon Kleindienst (August 5, 1923 – February 3, 2000) served as United States Attorney General under President Richard Nixon from 1973-1974. Kleindienst began his political career when he was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 1952. In 1964 he became director of field operations for Barry Goldwater's unsuccessful presidential campaign. Kleindienst was appointed Deputy Attorney General in 1969 and Attorney General in 1972. Five days later persons working for Nixon's reelection campaign broke into Democrat National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. They planted electronic eavesdropping devices to gain knowledge on the Democrats' strategy. Kleindienst worked to handle public relations problems after the break in.

He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor perjury charge for failing to testify fully at his Senate confirmation hearings concerning a lawsuit during Richard Nixon's 1972 reelection campaign.