The famous Watergate scandal of 1972 shook entire America. This major political setback occurred after the presidential election when the Republican Richard Nixon was holding office as the United States President. The scandal went on for almost two years, involving a burglary by five officials from the government at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters.
The robbery took place on June 17, 1972, when five state officials raided the DNC headquarters at the Washington Watergate Office Complex. Following the break-in, President Richard Nixon attempted to cover up the crime, as it unraveled the colossal corruption by state officials. Considered as the most significant federal political scandal in the U.S., it severely affected the Nixon’s administration. The state authorities captured the criminals, an event that led to further revelations. The U.S. justice department and the authorities found out a direct link between the deposits used by Nixon’s re-election campaign committee and the cash recovered at that time.
The press got involved, and the senate organized a separate committee to investigate the findings further. The investigation revealed that the president had also given the nod to plans that were directed at covering up any state involvement in the Watergate break-in. There was news of a voice-activated tech system for taping that was being operated in the Oval office. As the president’s administration attempted to resist the investigation and further probes, the state suffered from a constitutional crisis. The president could have been impeached for the scandal, but he wasn’t. He resigned on 9th August 1974.