Watergate - The End of a Presidency
/This June marks 45 years since the Watergate break-in, the burglary gone wrong that toppled a presidency.
A series of clandestine events started on June 17, 1972, when five men broke into the DNC headquarters at the Watergate office complex, attempting to wiretap phones and steal documents. The burglars, connected to President Richard Nixon’s reelection campaign, were arrested. The subsequent investigation revealed that President Nixon had been complicit in attempting to cover up the incident, raising hush money for the burglars; trying to use federal officials to deflect the investigation and destroying evidence.
Rather than face impeachment and the possibility of being removed from office, Nixon resigned. In addition, 40-plus members of his administration were indicted or jailed. His successor, Gerald Ford, pardoned Nixon for crimes “he committed or may have committed” while in office.
The incident inspired the 1976 feature film All the President’s Men and the upcoming 2017 film, Felt (which includes footage from NBC News Archives). Remember the scandal with NBCUniversal Archives' collection of Watergate-related footage, including testimony from the Watergate hearings, b-roll from the scene of the break-in, and selected clips of Nixon addressing the nation.
To view, license and download this footage, go to: Watergate at NBCUniversalArchives.