| − | In April 1973, with a [[United States Senate|Senate]] investigation underway, several top Nixon aides, including [[H. R. Haldeman]] and [[John D. Ehrlichman]], resigned over the scandal, and White House counsel John Dean III was fired. Dean subsequently testified during televised hearings beginning in May, exposing Nixon's participation in the Watergate cover-up and massive illegalities in Republican fundraising in 1972. | + | In April 1973, with a [[United States Senate|Senate]] investigation underway, several top Nixon aides, including H. R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman, resigned over the scandal, and White House counsel John Dean III was fired. Dean subsequently testified during televised hearings beginning in May, exposing Nixon's participation in the Watergate cover-up and massive illegalities in Republican fundraising in 1972. |
| − | The hearings also revealed that since 1971 Nixon had recorded conversations and telephone calls in his office. The president, however, refused to turn the tapes over to the Senate Watergate committee, citing executive privilege. In Oct. 1973 Nixon ordered [[Elliot Richardson]], the attorney general, to fire [[Archibald Cox]], the special prosecutor who had subpoenaed the tapes, but Richardson chose to resign instead. Richardson's assistant, William Ruckelshaus, also refused to fire Cox and was himself fired. Finally, it was the solicitor general, Robert Bork, who fired Cox. The incident, which became known as the "[[Saturday Night Massacre]]," led to widespread calls for Nixon's [[impeach]]ment. | + | The hearings also revealed that since 1971 Nixon had recorded conversations and telephone calls in his office. The president, however, refused to turn the tapes over to the Senate Watergate committee, citing executive privilege. In Oct. 1973 Nixon ordered [[Elliot Richardson]], the attorney general, to fire Archibald Cox, the special prosecutor who had subpoenaed the tapes, but Richardson chose to resign instead. Richardson's assistant, William Ruckelshaus, also refused to fire Cox and was himself fired. Finally, it was the solicitor general, Robert Bork, who fired Cox. The incident, which became known as the "Saturday Night Massacre," led to widespread calls for Nixon's [[impeach]]ment. |
| | The White House released edited transcripts of the tapes in April 1974, and eventually the tapes themselves, after the Supreme Court rejected Nixon's claim to executive privilege. But the damage was done; President Nixon's behavior—his cover-up of the burglary and refusal to turn over evidence—and the erosion of the public's confidence in his administration. The House Judiciary Committee began looking into Nixon's affairs.<ref>[[John Dean]] later wrote: "By a vote of 26 to 12, the House Judiciary Committee decided against including an article in the bill of impeachment charging Nixon with tax fraud. And President Ford's pardon eliminated any risk of a criminal tax prosecution. But nothing hurt Nixon more in the public's eyes. The public understood tax fraud, and in particular, the backdating of a document such as Nixon's deed of gift." [http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20030425.html Reviving The Creative Works Tax Deduction: Why the CARE Act, Pending In Congress, Should Be Made Law], By JOHN W. DEAN, Apr. 25, 2003. writ.news.findlaw.com</ref> A 26 year old staffer and future [[United States presidential election, 2016|Democratic nominee for President]], [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]], served as a researcher for the Committee.<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/features/2015-11-05/how-richard-nixon-created-hillary-clinton How Richard Nixon Created Hillary Clinton], Sam Tanenhaus, Nov 5, 2015. bloomberg.com</ref> She was asked to listen to the tapes, gaining an unprecedented insight into a high government officials daily communication.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=H78s9ZbLXCIC&pg=PA68&lpg=PA68&dq=%22asked+some+of+us+to+listen+to+the+tapes+to+further+our+understanding+of+them.+It+was+hard+work+sitting+alone+in+a+windowless+room,+trying+to+make+sense+of+the+words+and+to+glean+their+context+and+meaning%22&source=bl&ots=o3nWghmbLk&sig=2te4HQJeaT_ycfut2ComO7oSJEw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi7jaGE8srNAhUIOiYKHXR2BTUQ6AEIIDAA#v=onepage&q=%22asked%20some%20of%20us%20to%20listen%20to%20the%20tapes%20to%20further%20our%20understanding%20of%20them.%20It%20was%20hard%20work%20sitting%20alone%20in%20a%20windowless%20room%2C%20trying%20to%20make%20sense%20of%20the%20words%20and%20to%20glean%20their%20context%20and%20meaning%22&f=false Living History], Hillary Clinton, Simon and Schuster, 2004, p.68.</ref> | | The White House released edited transcripts of the tapes in April 1974, and eventually the tapes themselves, after the Supreme Court rejected Nixon's claim to executive privilege. But the damage was done; President Nixon's behavior—his cover-up of the burglary and refusal to turn over evidence—and the erosion of the public's confidence in his administration. The House Judiciary Committee began looking into Nixon's affairs.<ref>[[John Dean]] later wrote: "By a vote of 26 to 12, the House Judiciary Committee decided against including an article in the bill of impeachment charging Nixon with tax fraud. And President Ford's pardon eliminated any risk of a criminal tax prosecution. But nothing hurt Nixon more in the public's eyes. The public understood tax fraud, and in particular, the backdating of a document such as Nixon's deed of gift." [http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20030425.html Reviving The Creative Works Tax Deduction: Why the CARE Act, Pending In Congress, Should Be Made Law], By JOHN W. DEAN, Apr. 25, 2003. writ.news.findlaw.com</ref> A 26 year old staffer and future [[United States presidential election, 2016|Democratic nominee for President]], [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]], served as a researcher for the Committee.<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/features/2015-11-05/how-richard-nixon-created-hillary-clinton How Richard Nixon Created Hillary Clinton], Sam Tanenhaus, Nov 5, 2015. bloomberg.com</ref> She was asked to listen to the tapes, gaining an unprecedented insight into a high government officials daily communication.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=H78s9ZbLXCIC&pg=PA68&lpg=PA68&dq=%22asked+some+of+us+to+listen+to+the+tapes+to+further+our+understanding+of+them.+It+was+hard+work+sitting+alone+in+a+windowless+room,+trying+to+make+sense+of+the+words+and+to+glean+their+context+and+meaning%22&source=bl&ots=o3nWghmbLk&sig=2te4HQJeaT_ycfut2ComO7oSJEw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi7jaGE8srNAhUIOiYKHXR2BTUQ6AEIIDAA#v=onepage&q=%22asked%20some%20of%20us%20to%20listen%20to%20the%20tapes%20to%20further%20our%20understanding%20of%20them.%20It%20was%20hard%20work%20sitting%20alone%20in%20a%20windowless%20room%2C%20trying%20to%20make%20sense%20of%20the%20words%20and%20to%20glean%20their%20context%20and%20meaning%22&f=false Living History], Hillary Clinton, Simon and Schuster, 2004, p.68.</ref> |