Watergate Scandal

Watergate Scandal

Watergate actually began in 1971, but thanks to the White House efforts to cover up the scandal, it was unnoticed by the electorate. In 1973, one of Nixon’s aides disclosed that Nixon had a taping system installed in the White House, and that conversations about Watergate had been recorded. The Watergate special investigator Leon Jaworsky ordered Nixon to surrender his tapes. On August 5, Nixon finally handed over the complete tapes, which would condemn him. Four days later Nixon resigned, the first president to do so in U.S. history.