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The '''Watergate Affair''' was a political scandal leading to [[President of the United States|President]] [[Richard Nixon|Richard M. Nixon's]] resignation. It began when members of the campaign to reelect Richard Nixon broke into the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] National Committee headquarters in the [[Watergate Hotel]] looking for information on the coverup of the [[Chappaquiddick]] incident involving Sen. [[Edward M. Kennedy]] and the death of a young woman.<ref>[http://www.rightwingnews.com/interviews/liddy.php G. Gordon Liddy Interview] by John Hawkins.</ref> President Nixon had no prior knowledge of the burglary plans, nor gave consent to the escapade, yet his loyalty to subordinates led to Nixon consenting to cover up activities and transferring money from the Presidential election campaign fund to pay for the legal defense of those who were involved.  Nixon resigned when it became clear he had lost support within his own party and [[Congress]], which had Democratic majorities in both branches, was likely to [[impeach]] him for [[obstruction of justice]].  

The '''Watergate Affair''' was a political scandal leading to [[President of the United States|President]] [[Richard Nixon|Richard M. Nixon's]] resignation. It began when members of the campaign to reelect Richard Nixon broke into the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] National Committee headquarters in the [[Watergate Hotel]] looking for information on the coverup of the [[Chappaquiddick]] incident involving Sen. [[Edward M. Kennedy]] and the death of a young woman.<ref>[http://www.rightwingnews.com/interviews/liddy.php G. Gordon Liddy Interview] by John Hawkins.</ref> President Nixon had no prior knowledge of the burglary plans, nor gave consent to the escapade, yet his loyalty to subordinates led to Nixon consenting to cover up activities and transferring money from the Presidential election campaign fund to pay for the legal defense of those who were involved.  Nixon resigned when it became clear he had lost support within his own party and [[Congress]], which had Democratic majorities in both branches, was likely to [[impeach]] him for [[obstruction of justice]].  

==The Watergate Break-In==

==The Watergate break-in==

On June 17, 1972, five men (James W. McCord Jr, Frank Sturgis, Virgilio Gonzales, Bernard Barker, and Eugenio Martinez) were caught breaking into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate complex in [[Washington, D.C.]]  The burglars included [[James W. McCord]], a former [[CIA]] employee, and several [[Cuba]]n expatriates with ties to the CIA.  The subsequent investigation of the break-in revealed that the intruders were acting on behalf of the [[Committee to Reelect the President]] (often called CRP, and sometimes pronounced and spelled, particularly by Nixon's detractors, as "CREEP").  They, along with accomplices [[E. Howard Hunt]] and [[G. Gordon Liddy]], were convicted of burglary and wiretapping in Jan. 1973.

On June 17, 1972, five men (James W. McCord Jr, Frank Sturgis, Virgilio Gonzales, Bernard Barker, and Eugenio Martinez) were caught breaking into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate complex in [[Washington, D.C.]]  The burglars included [[James W. McCord]], a former [[CIA]] employee, and several [[Cuba]]n expatriates with ties to the CIA.  The subsequent investigation of the break-in revealed that the intruders were acting on behalf of the [[Committee to Reelect the President]] (often called CRP, and sometimes pronounced and spelled, particularly by Nixon's detractors, as "CREEP").  They, along with accomplices [[E. Howard Hunt]] and [[G. Gordon Liddy]], were convicted of burglary and wiretapping in Jan. 1973.