The document summarizes key events in the Watergate scandal that ultimately led to Richard Nixon's resignation as President of the United States. It describes that Nixon refused to release White House tapes that could be used as evidence, while his Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned after pleading no contest to tax evasion charges. It also discusses the "Saturday Night Massacre" where Nixon ordered the firing of the special prosecutor investigating Watergate, leading to huge public backlash. The document concludes that tapes revealed Nixon's involvement in a cover up, causing the House to begin impeachment proceedings and Nixon to resign in August 1974, after which Gerald Ford became president and pardoned Nixon.

1. Watergate – the Unraveling

2. Tapes
• All White House phone calls
& conversations on tape
• Nixon refuses to give tapes
-claims executive privilege
Meanwhile….
• VP Spiro Agnew legal problems
• Charged with more than 50 counts
-bribery, extortion, conspiracy, income
tax evasion as Governor of Maryland
• Pleads “no contest” to tax charge
-$10,000 fine & 3 yrs probation
-resign as Vice President
-rest of charges dropped
• Gerald Ford chosen VP

3. Saturday Night Massacre
• Nixon wants to give summary of tapes, not the tapes
• Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox refuse
• Nixon orders Att. Gen. E. Richardson to fire Cox (refuses/resigns)
• Order Dep. Att. Gen. W. Ruckelshaus to fire Cox (refuses/resigns)
• Orders R. Bork (next in office) to fire Cox (he does)
• Nixon abolishes Spec. Pros. Office & seals FBI files
-huge public backlash
• New Spec. Pros. Leon Jaworski
• Supreme Court rules he must give tapes
-gives 7 of 9 tapes (missing one with Dean + gaps in others)
Richardson Ruckelshaus
Bork

4. The End
• House begins impeachment process
-obstruction of justice
-abuse of power
-refusing to honor subpoenas
• Tapes show Nixon
-ordered CIA diversion
-involved in cover up
• Nixon resigns – August 9th ’74

5. Ford & Carter
• Gerald Ford becomes President
• Grants Nixon a full, free &
absolute pardon for any crimes
-claimed not good for country
-destroys Ford’s political career
• Jimmy Carter (Dem) defeats
Ford in ’76
-runs as a political outsider
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter