What was nixon charged with

The Watergate scandal began early in the morning of June 17, , when several burglars were arrested in the office of the Democratic National Committee, located in the Watergate complex of buildings in Washington, D.

Nixon took aggressive steps to cover up the crimes, but when Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein revealed his role in the conspiracy, Nixon resigned on August 9, The Watergate scandal changed American politics forever, leading many Americans to question their leaders and think more critically about the presidency. The origins of the Watergate break-in lay in the hostile political climate of the time. By , when Republican President Richard M. Nixon was running for reelection, the United States was embroiled in the Vietnam War , and the country was deeply divided.

A forceful presidential campaign therefore seemed essential to the president and some of his key advisers. Their aggressive tactics included what turned out to be illegal espionage. The wiretaps failed to work properly, however, so on June 17 a group of five burglars returned to the Watergate building. The guard called the police, who arrived just in time to catch them red-handed.

In August, Nixon gave a speech in which he swore that his White House staff was not involved in the break-in. Most voters believed him, and in November the president was reelected in a landslide victory. It later came to light that Nixon was not being truthful.

This was a more serious crime than the break-in: It was an abuse of presidential power and a deliberate obstruction of justice.

Meanwhile, seven conspirators were indicted on charges related to the Watergate affair. Sirica and members of a Senate investigating committee—had begun to suspect that there was a larger scheme afoot. At the same time, some of the conspirators began to crack under the pressure of the cover-up.

Nixon struggled to protect the tapes during the summer and fall of When Cox refused to stop demanding the tapes, Nixon ordered that he be fired, leading several Justice Department officials to resign in protest. These events, which took place on October 20, , are known as the Saturday Night Massacre. Eventually, Nixon agreed to surrender some—but not all—of the tapes. In all of this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.

Wherefore Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office. Adopted by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, at 7. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has repeatedly engaged in conduct violating the constitutional rights of citizens, impairing the due and proper administration of justice and the conduct of lawful inquiries, or contravening the laws governing agencies of the executive branch and the purposed of these agencies.

Adopted by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives. Nixon, contrary to his oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has failed without lawful cause or excuse to produce papers and things as directed by duly authorized subpoenas issued by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives on April 11, , May 15, , May 30, , and June 24, , and willfully disobeyed such subpoenas.

The subpoenaed papers and things were deemed necessary by the Committee in order to resolve by direct evidence fundamental, factual questions relating to Presidential direction, knowledge or approval of actions demonstrated by other evidence to be substantial grounds for impeachment of the President. In refusing to produce these papers and things Richard M. Nixon, substituting his judgment as to what materials were necessary for the inquiry, interposed the powers of the Presidency against the the lawful subpoenas of the House of Representatives, thereby assuming to himself functions and judgments necessary to the exercise of the sole power of impeachment vested by the Constitution in the House of Representatives.

Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.

Wherefore, Richard M. Two more articles, for abuse of power and contempt of Congress, were approved on July 29 and On August 5, Nixon complied with a U. Supreme Court ruling requiring that he provide transcripts of the missing tapes , and the new evidence clearly implicated him in a cover up of the Watergate break-in.

On August 8, Nixon announced his resignation, becoming the first president in U. After departing the White House on August 9, Nixon was succeeded by Vice President Gerald Ford , who, in a controversial move, pardoned Nixon on September 8, , making it impossible for the former president to be prosecuted for any crimes he might have committed while in office.

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