Watergate

Watergate was a major political scandal in the United States that emerged in the early 1970s and culminated in the resignation of President Richard Nixon. It began with a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., on June 17, 1972. Five burglars—Bernard Barker, Virgilio González, Eugenio Martínez, James W. McCord Jr., and Frank Sturgis—were arrested for the break-in, which was linked to the Committee to Re-elect the President (CRP). Investigations by journalists and government bodies revealed that individuals associated with the Nixon White House and CRP had sought to spy on political opponents and obstruct investigations.

Over the next several years, inquiries by the Senate Watergate Committee and the special prosecutor’s office uncovered a pattern of abuses of power, including illegal campaign activities and attempts to cover up the administration’s involvement. The discovery of White House tape recordings of conversations led to a constitutional crisis when the Supreme Court ordered the release of the tapes in United States v. Nixon. Facing near-certain impeachment by the House of Representatives, Nixon resigned on August 8, 1974, and was succeeded by Vice President Gerald Ford, who later pardoned him.

Watergate prompted major reforms aimed at increasing political accountability and transparency, and it left a lasting impact on American politics and public trust. The term Watergate has since become a byword for political scandals involving governmental misconduct and cover-ups.

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