The Watergate scandal involved the 1972 break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington D.C. by five men associated with President Richard Nixon's re-election committee. The ensuing investigation revealed that Nixon had attempted to cover up White House involvement and abused federal powers to spy on political opponents. This led to impeachment proceedings and Nixon's resignation in 1974, damaging trust in government. The scandal demonstrated that a free press could hold leaders accountable and increased cynicism around political corruption.

1. Watergate Scandal
Prepared by Judyta Przyluska Schmitt
Lansing, 2019

2. Presentation Plan
• Background information:
- what happened?
- when?
- where?
- who was involved?
- why did the event take place?
- important evidences in this matter.
• Effect on US society at the time.
• Why the event is important today.
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3. Watergate scandal
• The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal
in the United States that lasted from 1972 to 1974.
• On June 17, 1972 five men broke into the Democratic
Party National headquarters at the Watergate office
complex in Washington, D.C.
• The purpose of this break-in was to establish
wiretapping to secretly monitor conversations.
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4. Source: Wikipedia
Watergate Complex
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5. Investigation
• After the five men were caught, Republican President
Richard Nixon's administration tried to cover up his
involvement.
• However, the conspiracy was discovered and
publicized by reporters and investigated by the
United States Congress.
• Illegal activities undertaken by Nixon’s staff included
bugging the offices of political opponents and
planning retribution against enemies.
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6. Watergate Burglars
Source: Abagond - WordPress.com
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7. Illegal Activities
• Nixon and his aides ordered investigations of activist
groups and political figures, using the Federal Bureau
of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA), and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as
political weapons.
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8. Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward
Source: The Guardian 8

9. Anonymous Source – Mark Felt
Source: Vanity Fair
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10. Result of Investigation
• The scandal led to the discovery of multiple abuses
of power by close aides of the Nixon’s
administration.
• It led to the beginning of an impeachment process
against the president.
• Finally, Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974.
• The scandal resulted in 69 people being charged,
with 48 being found guilty.
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11. The President’s Men
Source: The WOW Report
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12. Important Evidence
• The investigation revealed that Nixon had a tape-
recording system in his office and he had recorded
many conversations.
• Nixon refused to submit the tapes to the committee,
citing his executive privilege as president.
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13. Release the Tapes
• Finally, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled
that the president was obligated to release the tapes
to government investigators.
• The tapes revealed that Nixon had attempted to
cover up activities that took place after the break-in,
and used federal officials to deflect the investigation.
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14. Game Over
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Source: Newspapers.com

15. Avoid of Punishment
• On September 8, 1974, his successor, Gerald Ford,
pardoned him.
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Source: The History Place

16. The Impact on the United States
• The affair had a wide impact on American society
and the political system.
• An estimated 85% of Americans with television sets
tuned into at least one portion of the hearings.
• Since Nixon and the many senior officials involved in
Watergate were lawyers, the affair has seriously
damaged the public image of the lawyer’s profession.
• The abuse of presidential power had a long-lasting
effect on American political life, creating an
atmosphere of cynicism and distrust.
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17. Conclusion
• The scandal was important because Americans lost
trust of government and distrust that the scandal
generated is still alive today.
• Tapes of Presidential conversations are today
important sources for historians.
• The scandal demonstrated that the media are now
referred to as the ”Fourth Estate”; they became
stronger and more courageous in their investigations.
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18. Related events today
• The Oxford English Dictionary’s entry for ”Watergate”
illustrates how ectensively the affair entered public
consciousness.
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19. Example 1
• Envelopegate (2017), at the 89th Academy Awards,
Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announced La La
Land as the winner for Best Picture.
• Three minutes after their speeches, producer Jordan
Horowitz announced that Moonlight was the winner.
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Source: boredpanda.com Source: rock95.com

20. Example 2
• Elsagate (2017) is derived from bizarre videos
featuring Elsa from the Disney film Frozen and
Spiderman indulging in despicable acts no child
should ever see.
• Gore, violence, sexual fetishism, abuse, and rape are
the prevailing themes in such videos.
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Source: Thumbnails of Elsagate content.jpg

21. Works Cited
• 89th Academy Awards,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/89th_Academy_Awards#Best_Pict
ure_announcement_error
• ElsaGate, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsagate
• Perry, James M., Watergate Case Study”
columbia.edu/itc/journalism/j6075/edit/readings/waterg
ate.html
• The Final Report: Watergate (National Geographic) movie
• Watergate Scandal history.com/topics/1970s/watergate
• Watergate Scandal
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_scandal
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22. Thank You for Your Attention
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