WHAT HAPPENED IN THE WATERGATE SCANDAL?

Watergate is possibly one of the most infamous, publicized political scandals in American History. But yet many people in my generation do not know much about what happened in the Watergate scandal.

The Watergate scandal involved nine men that broke into the Democratic headquarters in the Watergate Hotel in Washington D.C. on May 27, 1972. Included in these nine men, were two CIA operatives; E. Howard Hunt, and James W. McCord Jr. These men broke into the Democratic headquarters out of fear that President Nixon's bid for reelection was in jeopardy. So to "help" President Nixon, these men broke in and wiretapped phones, stole documents, and took pictures of documents, and all of it was done with President Nixon's knowledge.

The scandal took a turn for the worst when they broke back in to the Watergate Hotel on June 17 to fix a bug that was not working. A suspicious security guard saw the men and called the Police, who arrested McCord and four others. A massive cover-up was started and the race to hide the President's involvement began. Incriminating evidence had been destroyed, and the President thought he was in the clear. So on August 29, 1972 President Nixon "announced that the break-in had been investigated and that no one in the Whitehouse was involved."

Despite Nixon's reelection, he was not let off the hook. And as Nixon himself said, "I welcome this kind of examination, because people have got to know whether or not their President is crook, well I'm not a crook." Check out the Press Conference...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxeFMHyOx3I . Despite his denial, his tape recorded conversations regarding the "hush" money paid to CIA agent Hunt were what ultimately pinned him against the wall.

To avoid impeachment, Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974 (two years later). Here is his resignation...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN8OfPc_aQ8 . Vice President Gerald Ford, was then sworn in as President, and granted former President Nixon a blanket pardon on September 8, 1974 which eliminated any possibility of indictment.

Yet another Government scandal that they couldn't cover up.