The Government on the Watergate Scandal

The 1973 Watergate scandal which involved disclosures of widespread political espionage and skullduggery of Former President Richard Nixon and five of his staff created a damaging controversy and friction to the government as the former were accused of burglary, obstruction of justice and wire-tapping. The Senate formed the Select Committee on Presidential Conduct, chaired by Senator Sam Ervin, to look into the matter. Alexander Butterfield, a senior Nixon aide, told the Senate committee that Nixon had taped many White House discussions. When the tapes became publicized, Nixon rebuffed a subpoena to hand them over to prosecutors. In 1974, the Supreme Court or House Judiciary Committee ruled that Nixon had to let go of the tapes, which indicated that the president had assisted in the scheme. Later...