"Mysteries at the Museum" The Watergate Scandal: A Mysteries at the Museum Special

1 00:00:03,427 --> 00:00:05,460 I welcome this kind of examination, 2 00:00:05,462 --> 00:00:07,162 because people have got to know 3 00:00:07,164 --> 00:00:09,798 whether or not their president's a crook. 4 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:12,134 Well, I'm not a crook. 5 00:00:12,136 --> 00:00:16,104 Watergate was a national scandal that defined a generation 6 00:00:16,106 --> 00:00:19,108 and influenced American politics forever. 7 00:00:19,110 --> 00:00:22,311 It's an extraordinary story of heroes and villains, 8 00:00:22,313 --> 00:00:25,580 truth and justice, lies and cover-ups, 9 00:00:25,582 --> 00:00:27,682 and a catastrophic fall from grace 10 00:00:27,684 --> 00:00:31,120 of the most powerful person in the country -- the president. 11 00:00:31,122 --> 00:00:33,688 God bless America. 12 00:00:33,690 --> 00:00:36,258 It all started with a curious crime -- 13 00:00:36,260 --> 00:00:37,759 the Watergate break-in. 14 00:00:37,761 --> 00:00:39,094 We've all heard of it, 15 00:00:39,096 --> 00:00:41,930 but do we know the real story? 16 00:00:41,932 --> 00:00:45,267 "Get your hands up, or I'll blow your head off." 17 00:00:45,269 --> 00:00:47,302 The investigation of this crime 18 00:00:47,304 --> 00:00:50,739 led to a series of explosive revelations. 19 00:00:50,741 --> 00:00:55,077 What began as a bizarre break-in came to reveal a conspiracy 20 00:00:55,079 --> 00:00:59,915 that stretched to the very top of the United States government. 21 00:00:59,917 --> 00:01:02,984 Here was the abuse of presidential power. 22 00:01:02,986 --> 00:01:05,520 This went to the heart of the Constitution. 23 00:01:05,522 --> 00:01:08,791 Watergate devastated the presidency of Richard Nixon. 24 00:01:08,793 --> 00:01:12,394 Not only in this country was it the only story. 25 00:01:12,396 --> 00:01:14,863 -Yeah. -Around the world. 26 00:01:14,865 --> 00:01:18,367 So, how did a botched burglary become the thread 27 00:01:18,369 --> 00:01:21,070 that would unravel the White House? 28 00:01:21,072 --> 00:01:25,607 And what about this case still remains unanswered to this day? 29 00:01:27,644 --> 00:01:29,178 I'm Don Wildman. 30 00:01:29,180 --> 00:01:31,780 I've explored the world's greatest mysteries, 31 00:01:31,782 --> 00:01:34,582 examined rare artifacts and epic monuments. 32 00:01:34,584 --> 00:01:36,151 That is unbelievable. 33 00:01:36,153 --> 00:01:39,321 Now I'm digging deeper into some of the most perplexing 34 00:01:39,323 --> 00:01:41,924 and famous cases in history. 35 00:01:41,926 --> 00:01:44,259 My goal -- to get closer to the truth... 36 00:01:44,261 --> 00:01:47,195 -Let's burn this place down. -Let's burn it down. 37 00:01:47,197 --> 00:01:50,999 ...on this special episode of "Mysteries at the Museum: 38 00:01:51,001 --> 00:01:52,868 The Watergate Scandal." 39 00:02:00,978 --> 00:02:03,512 The first step to investigating Watergate 40 00:02:03,514 --> 00:02:06,782 is to look at the man whose legacy it defined -- 41 00:02:06,784 --> 00:02:10,753 President Richard Milhous Nixon. 42 00:02:10,755 --> 00:02:13,154 Nixon was a career politician. 43 00:02:13,156 --> 00:02:17,359 He was intelligent, tenacious, and fiercely ambitious. 44 00:02:17,361 --> 00:02:20,262 Nixon had been a member of the House of Representatives, 45 00:02:20,264 --> 00:02:22,264 a senator, and spent 8 years 46 00:02:22,266 --> 00:02:25,834 as vice president to then-President Eisenhower. 47 00:02:25,836 --> 00:02:28,370 So help me God. 48 00:02:28,372 --> 00:02:31,873 He took office as president in 1969, 49 00:02:31,875 --> 00:02:35,744 and, in '72, had his sights set on reelection. 50 00:02:35,746 --> 00:02:37,479 But during the next two years, 51 00:02:37,481 --> 00:02:40,215 Nixon's life would change dramatically. 52 00:02:43,654 --> 00:02:46,321 1972 would mark the beginning of the end 53 00:02:46,323 --> 00:02:49,791 of Richard Nixon's political career, thanks to Watergate. 54 00:02:49,793 --> 00:02:52,027 So, what was the Watergate scandal? 55 00:02:52,029 --> 00:02:54,963 What could be so bad that it would force a president 56 00:02:54,965 --> 00:02:56,932 to walk away from office? 57 00:02:56,934 --> 00:02:58,800 What happened? 58 00:03:03,607 --> 00:03:07,609 To find out, where better to start than where it all began -- 59 00:03:07,611 --> 00:03:12,180 the Watergate hotel and office complex in Washington, D.C.? 60 00:03:12,182 --> 00:03:15,016 On June 16, 1972, 61 00:03:15,018 --> 00:03:19,187 a group of five men gathered at this very hotel. 62 00:03:19,189 --> 00:03:21,557 They were preparing for a top-secret 63 00:03:21,559 --> 00:03:23,959 and highly illegal operation. 64 00:03:23,961 --> 00:03:26,528 What they were about to do would have consequences 65 00:03:26,530 --> 00:03:30,799 that would ripple to the top of government and on into history. 66 00:03:38,042 --> 00:03:42,443 In the early hours of June 17th, a security guard patrolling 67 00:03:42,445 --> 00:03:45,214 the parking garage of the Watergate office complex 68 00:03:45,216 --> 00:03:48,850 found a stairwell door taped open. 69 00:03:48,852 --> 00:03:51,220 He removed the tape and secured the door, 70 00:03:51,222 --> 00:03:52,754 but just over an hour later, 71 00:03:52,756 --> 00:03:56,825 he found the door had been taped over again. 72 00:03:56,827 --> 00:04:00,862 Thinking this suspicious, he called the police. 73 00:04:00,864 --> 00:04:05,066 One of the officers who answered that call was John Barrett. 74 00:04:05,068 --> 00:04:07,669 He was just 24 years old at the time, 75 00:04:07,671 --> 00:04:12,073 and tonight, he has returned to the scene of the crime. 76 00:04:12,075 --> 00:04:13,242 -Hey, Don. -Hi. 77 00:04:13,244 --> 00:04:15,277 How you doing? I thought I'd find you here. 78 00:04:15,279 --> 00:04:16,545 -It's nice to meet you. 79 00:04:16,547 --> 00:04:18,547 -Same here. -So, this is the space? 80 00:04:18,549 --> 00:04:19,981 This is it. This is exactly -- 81 00:04:19,983 --> 00:04:21,550 Right here is where I actually caught them. 82 00:04:21,552 --> 00:04:23,051 You're kidding me. 83 00:04:23,053 --> 00:04:26,254 Describe for me first what scene you walked into. 84 00:04:26,256 --> 00:04:27,655 What are you actually looking at here? 85 00:04:27,657 --> 00:04:29,224 You ever heard of this hair sticking up 86 00:04:29,226 --> 00:04:31,426 -on your back of your neck? -Yeah. 87 00:04:31,428 --> 00:04:34,963 Well, I didn't like this thing right from the get-go. 88 00:04:38,502 --> 00:04:43,138 When we initially came in, the room was absolutely in disarray. 89 00:04:43,140 --> 00:04:47,643 It appeared that somebody was looking for something 90 00:04:47,645 --> 00:04:49,811 and had thrown papers, files. 91 00:04:49,813 --> 00:04:51,880 I mean, it was just a complete mess. 92 00:04:51,882 --> 00:04:53,582 You're walking into what is potentially 93 00:04:53,584 --> 00:04:55,283 a very dangerous situation here. 94 00:04:55,285 --> 00:04:56,684 -Oh, yes. -You don't know if these guys 95 00:04:56,686 --> 00:04:58,186 are armed and how many are here. 96 00:04:58,188 --> 00:05:00,689 That's right. 97 00:05:00,691 --> 00:05:02,590 As I was waiting for my two partners 98 00:05:02,592 --> 00:05:04,059 to come down the hallway, 99 00:05:04,061 --> 00:05:06,828 I searched two cubicles. 100 00:05:06,830 --> 00:05:09,731 I realized at some point if anybody was here, 101 00:05:09,733 --> 00:05:11,900 they would have to be in this third one. 102 00:05:11,902 --> 00:05:15,604 As I hung back, I saw an arm right next to my face, 103 00:05:15,606 --> 00:05:17,205 literally right next to my face. 104 00:05:17,207 --> 00:05:19,474 Wow. What do you say? 105 00:05:19,476 --> 00:05:22,778 I said something to the effect, "Get your hands up 106 00:05:22,780 --> 00:05:26,047 and come out of there, or I'll blow your head off." 107 00:05:26,049 --> 00:05:27,316 We had 10 hands. 108 00:05:27,318 --> 00:05:30,285 Five people with their hands went up. 109 00:05:30,287 --> 00:05:33,088 But what really stood out to John and his partners 110 00:05:33,090 --> 00:05:35,156 was what the five men were wearing 111 00:05:35,158 --> 00:05:37,359 and where they had been caught. 112 00:05:37,361 --> 00:05:40,796 The men, all dressed in suits, had broken into the offices 113 00:05:40,798 --> 00:05:43,331 of the Democratic National Committee, 114 00:05:43,333 --> 00:05:46,568 the DNC. 115 00:05:46,570 --> 00:05:49,104 In the lead-up to the 1972 election, 116 00:05:49,106 --> 00:05:51,506 this space in the Watergate office complex 117 00:05:51,508 --> 00:05:54,175 was the headquarters of the DNC. 118 00:05:54,177 --> 00:05:57,278 So what were five smartly dressed men doing 119 00:05:57,280 --> 00:06:00,282 sneaking around here at night? 120 00:06:00,284 --> 00:06:03,551 This was an unusual crime to be walking into. 121 00:06:03,553 --> 00:06:05,087 Most definitely. 122 00:06:08,525 --> 00:06:12,494 And things were only going to get stranger from here on in. 123 00:06:12,496 --> 00:06:15,196 The police discovered that the burglars had booked a room 124 00:06:15,198 --> 00:06:18,867 in the adjoining hotel section of the Watergate complex, 125 00:06:18,869 --> 00:06:22,404 and what they found inside that room would take this story 126 00:06:22,406 --> 00:06:24,606 in an even more troubling direction. 127 00:06:26,610 --> 00:06:28,911 So, this is it. I mean, it's incredible. 128 00:06:28,913 --> 00:06:31,980 This is the room where the burglars stayed, 129 00:06:31,982 --> 00:06:35,050 where they prepared and plotted their operation. 130 00:06:35,052 --> 00:06:38,586 They got the whole place set up like it's 1972. 131 00:06:38,588 --> 00:06:40,589 All the furniture and the lights, 132 00:06:40,591 --> 00:06:43,925 all of this could have been here that infamous night. 133 00:06:43,927 --> 00:06:45,927 It's wild to imagine 134 00:06:45,929 --> 00:06:48,930 those burglars were standing right here. 135 00:06:53,003 --> 00:06:55,737 When the police search the belongings of the burglars, 136 00:06:55,739 --> 00:06:57,306 they quickly realize that these were not 137 00:06:57,308 --> 00:07:00,375 your average small-time crooks. 138 00:07:00,377 --> 00:07:03,845 They found tear-gas pens, bugging devices, 139 00:07:03,847 --> 00:07:07,448 roll after roll of camera film, and thousands of dollars 140 00:07:07,450 --> 00:07:11,186 in consecutively ordered $100 bills. 141 00:07:11,188 --> 00:07:12,321 It all suggested that 142 00:07:12,323 --> 00:07:15,290 this was a well-equipped professional outfit 143 00:07:15,292 --> 00:07:17,225 and that they had most likely been hired 144 00:07:17,227 --> 00:07:20,862 to break into the DNC. But why? 145 00:07:25,035 --> 00:07:27,602 It seemed clearly apparent that all this 146 00:07:27,604 --> 00:07:31,673 was part of a larger operation, but to what end? 147 00:07:31,675 --> 00:07:34,409 And who were these men working for? 148 00:07:34,411 --> 00:07:35,811 In the months and years that followed, 149 00:07:35,813 --> 00:07:39,614 attempts to figure out who was behind the Watergate burglary 150 00:07:39,616 --> 00:07:42,817 would unveil an enormous criminal conspiracy 151 00:07:42,819 --> 00:07:46,821 and become the political scandal of the century. 152 00:07:52,796 --> 00:07:56,731 The FBI immediately became involved with the investigation. 153 00:07:56,733 --> 00:07:59,967 Soon the burglars' identities were revealed -- 154 00:07:59,969 --> 00:08:03,704 four Cuban-Americans and one American. 155 00:08:03,706 --> 00:08:05,907 They claim to be anti-communists 156 00:08:05,909 --> 00:08:08,977 but wouldn't explain what they were looking for in the DNC. 157 00:08:08,979 --> 00:08:11,746 In fact, they wouldn't talk at all. 158 00:08:11,748 --> 00:08:15,316 But perhaps they didn't need to, because investigators 159 00:08:15,318 --> 00:08:17,753 quickly uncovered something in their possession 160 00:08:17,755 --> 00:08:20,621 that would speak volumes. 161 00:08:20,623 --> 00:08:22,958 They found that two of the burglars had address books 162 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:25,994 containing the name Howard Hunt. 163 00:08:25,996 --> 00:08:28,763 For the FBI, this was a big clue. 164 00:08:28,765 --> 00:08:31,032 Howard Hunt was a White House consultant 165 00:08:31,034 --> 00:08:34,769 with very close ties to the Nixon administration. 166 00:08:34,771 --> 00:08:36,838 What did a White House official have to do 167 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:39,307 with the Watergate burglary? 168 00:08:39,309 --> 00:08:40,842 It was a dramatic revelation 169 00:08:40,844 --> 00:08:43,277 that opened up a slew of new questions 170 00:08:43,279 --> 00:08:45,547 about who these burglars really were 171 00:08:45,549 --> 00:08:49,985 and what they were doing in the headquarters of the DNC. 172 00:08:49,987 --> 00:08:52,787 Keen to find answers to all those questions 173 00:08:52,789 --> 00:08:54,389 were two young journalists -- 174 00:08:54,391 --> 00:08:58,060 Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post. 175 00:08:58,062 --> 00:09:00,595 So how would these two rookie reporters 176 00:09:00,597 --> 00:09:03,431 help topple the White House? 177 00:09:03,433 --> 00:09:05,700 Watergate went from a small story 178 00:09:05,702 --> 00:09:09,004 to the biggest political scandal in American history -- 179 00:09:09,006 --> 00:09:12,908 so big, there are still questions lingering today. 180 00:09:12,910 --> 00:09:15,777 Who was leaking information to investigators? 181 00:09:15,779 --> 00:09:19,281 What role did the press play in uncovering this scandal? 182 00:09:19,283 --> 00:09:22,083 And what new evidence could challenge 183 00:09:22,085 --> 00:09:24,286 the accepted version of the story? 184 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:40,802 June 1972 -- Watergate was a small, 185 00:09:40,804 --> 00:09:43,337 local story about a suspicious burglary, 186 00:09:43,339 --> 00:09:46,875 but it was about to get a whole lot bigger. 187 00:09:46,877 --> 00:09:50,111 Thanks to address books found in the burglars' possessions, 188 00:09:50,113 --> 00:09:51,913 the Watergate break-in had been linked 189 00:09:51,915 --> 00:09:54,549 to a White House consultant. 190 00:09:54,551 --> 00:09:57,752 And now two dogged reporters were chasing the story 191 00:09:57,754 --> 00:09:59,888 as far as it would go. 192 00:09:59,890 --> 00:10:03,658 But just how big a story was this? 193 00:10:03,660 --> 00:10:07,094 Some would argue we wouldn't have even heard of Watergate 194 00:10:07,096 --> 00:10:09,430 if not for the work of two young journalists, 195 00:10:09,432 --> 00:10:11,633 Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. 196 00:10:11,635 --> 00:10:13,335 So who were these guys? 197 00:10:13,337 --> 00:10:16,738 And how did their reporting help bring down a president? 198 00:10:19,643 --> 00:10:21,409 To find out, I'm headed to a place 199 00:10:21,411 --> 00:10:24,746 that is dedicated to the freedom of the press. 200 00:10:24,748 --> 00:10:26,348 -Patty, nice to meet you. -Hey, John. Nice to meet you. 201 00:10:26,350 --> 00:10:27,882 -Welcome to the Newseum. -Thank you very much. 202 00:10:27,884 --> 00:10:30,952 Patty Rhule is the senior director of exhibit development 203 00:10:30,954 --> 00:10:35,657 here at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. 204 00:10:35,659 --> 00:10:39,194 Okay. So, two very famous names in journalism -- 205 00:10:39,196 --> 00:10:40,394 Woodward and Bernstein. 206 00:10:40,396 --> 00:10:41,696 -Yes. -Who are these guys? 207 00:10:41,698 --> 00:10:44,733 So, Woodward is a 29-year-old reporter at the time. 208 00:10:44,735 --> 00:10:46,634 He's been at the Post for less than a year. 209 00:10:46,636 --> 00:10:48,202 Bernstein's been there for about 6 years. 210 00:10:48,204 --> 00:10:49,304 He's 28. 211 00:10:49,306 --> 00:10:50,772 Very different personalities? 212 00:10:50,774 --> 00:10:52,107 Very different personalities. 213 00:10:52,109 --> 00:10:53,775 Bernstein is kind of a long-haired, 214 00:10:53,777 --> 00:10:55,910 counter-culture type guy. 215 00:10:55,912 --> 00:10:58,980 Woodward is a former Navy communications officer, 216 00:10:58,982 --> 00:11:01,682 graduate of Yale, clean-cut, button down, tie. 217 00:11:01,684 --> 00:11:05,420 Their differences really brought real strength to the story. 218 00:11:07,591 --> 00:11:11,325 Woodward and Bernstein were on the story from day one, 219 00:11:11,327 --> 00:11:14,528 when called in by the Post just hours after the break-in. 220 00:11:14,530 --> 00:11:16,865 These eager young reporters were happy to give up 221 00:11:16,867 --> 00:11:19,334 their Saturdays to work on the story. 222 00:11:19,336 --> 00:11:22,470 By chasing every lead and contact they could find, 223 00:11:22,472 --> 00:11:24,672 they discovered something startling. 224 00:11:24,674 --> 00:11:26,975 One of the burglars, James McCord, 225 00:11:26,977 --> 00:11:29,444 was a former CIA agent. 226 00:11:29,446 --> 00:11:32,880 Even more astounding, he was now the security chief 227 00:11:32,882 --> 00:11:36,618 of the committee for the reelection of the president. 228 00:11:36,620 --> 00:11:39,754 This was the first indication that Richard Nixon's campaign 229 00:11:39,756 --> 00:11:42,957 may have had a hand in the shady dealing. 230 00:11:42,959 --> 00:11:47,228 So just how far into the White House did this story stretch? 231 00:11:49,099 --> 00:11:50,798 So, tell me about the process. 232 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:53,434 I mean, this really developed as a story, didn't it? 233 00:11:53,436 --> 00:11:54,702 It really did, and it's basically 234 00:11:54,704 --> 00:11:57,038 because of their relentless reporting. 235 00:11:57,040 --> 00:12:00,175 They interviewed dozens, if not hundreds of sources, 236 00:12:00,177 --> 00:12:02,376 asking the same questions over and over 237 00:12:02,378 --> 00:12:04,779 to try to triangulate the information. 238 00:12:04,781 --> 00:12:07,382 They were doing that sort of old-fashioned gumshoe reporting, 239 00:12:07,384 --> 00:12:09,250 going to people's homes at night, knocking on the door, 240 00:12:09,252 --> 00:12:12,454 "Would you mind answering a few questions about this?" 241 00:12:12,456 --> 00:12:15,123 Within just a few weeks, their reporting helped them 242 00:12:15,125 --> 00:12:18,492 make even more connections between the Watergate burglary 243 00:12:18,494 --> 00:12:20,161 and the Nixon White House. 244 00:12:20,163 --> 00:12:21,829 They discovered that investigators 245 00:12:21,831 --> 00:12:23,898 had not only connected Howard Hunt 246 00:12:23,900 --> 00:12:27,168 but also former FBI agent G. Gordon Liddy 247 00:12:27,170 --> 00:12:28,769 to the scene of the crime. 248 00:12:28,771 --> 00:12:31,406 Both men had worked for the Nixon administration 249 00:12:31,408 --> 00:12:33,275 and had helped conspire with the burglars 250 00:12:33,277 --> 00:12:36,244 in their hotel room at the Watergate. 251 00:12:36,246 --> 00:12:40,048 Their tough-nose journalism was creeping higher and higher 252 00:12:40,050 --> 00:12:42,117 towards the White House. 253 00:12:42,119 --> 00:12:44,151 I'm thinking about the method. I mean, it mystifies me 254 00:12:44,153 --> 00:12:45,587 how they put this story together. 255 00:12:45,589 --> 00:12:48,856 I see a huge bulletin board with pins and index cards 256 00:12:48,858 --> 00:12:51,026 and everything else, right? This is a detective story. 257 00:12:51,028 --> 00:12:52,927 And it really is. It's unraveling the clues. 258 00:12:52,929 --> 00:12:54,496 You know, who paid the Watergate burglars? 259 00:12:54,498 --> 00:12:56,064 Where did that money come from? 260 00:12:56,066 --> 00:12:57,665 Who ordered them to do what they did? 261 00:12:57,667 --> 00:12:59,000 Woodward and Bernstein are really doing 262 00:12:59,002 --> 00:13:00,135 what journalists are supposed to do, 263 00:13:00,137 --> 00:13:02,470 which is challenging people in power. 264 00:13:02,472 --> 00:13:05,573 Next, they honed in on the money trail. 265 00:13:05,575 --> 00:13:08,442 When it came to figuring out who was paying these men, 266 00:13:08,444 --> 00:13:09,811 it wasn't easy. 267 00:13:09,813 --> 00:13:12,713 Weeding through a web of intricate financial dealings 268 00:13:12,715 --> 00:13:14,582 was no small task. 269 00:13:14,584 --> 00:13:16,051 So how did they do it? 270 00:13:16,053 --> 00:13:17,719 They followed the money, 271 00:13:17,721 --> 00:13:21,723 and sure enough, they hit pay dirt. 272 00:13:21,725 --> 00:13:23,992 By August 1, 1972, 273 00:13:23,994 --> 00:13:26,861 working with anonymous sources in law enforcement, 274 00:13:26,863 --> 00:13:29,330 Woodward and Bernstein directly linked a check 275 00:13:29,332 --> 00:13:31,899 that was paid to one of the Watergate burglars 276 00:13:31,901 --> 00:13:33,535 to Maurice Stans, 277 00:13:33,537 --> 00:13:37,372 the treasurer of Nixon's campaign organization. 278 00:13:37,374 --> 00:13:39,907 This was big news, because it showed 279 00:13:39,909 --> 00:13:43,844 that Nixon campaign money was being used to fund underhanded 280 00:13:43,846 --> 00:13:46,914 and illegal activities, and was confirmation 281 00:13:46,916 --> 00:13:51,319 that Watergate was anything but small-time break-in. 282 00:13:51,321 --> 00:13:53,087 It's not too much to say without the Washington Post, 283 00:13:53,089 --> 00:13:55,890 Woodward and Bernstein, there might not have been a Watergate. 284 00:13:55,892 --> 00:13:57,025 Well, certainly, 285 00:13:57,027 --> 00:13:59,126 their incredible and intrepid reporting 286 00:13:59,128 --> 00:14:02,897 brought this story the national forefront. 287 00:14:02,899 --> 00:14:04,933 But with the first link between the burglary 288 00:14:04,935 --> 00:14:07,836 and the president's reelection campaign established, 289 00:14:07,838 --> 00:14:09,737 the question quickly became, 290 00:14:09,739 --> 00:14:13,107 just how high would this story go? 291 00:14:13,109 --> 00:14:16,177 By continuing to write front-page stories, 292 00:14:16,179 --> 00:14:19,480 Woodward and Bernstein kept Watergate in the news. 293 00:14:19,482 --> 00:14:22,783 Unintimidated by the powerful people they were reporting on, 294 00:14:22,785 --> 00:14:24,385 they worked hard to make sure 295 00:14:24,387 --> 00:14:27,087 the White House didn't bury the scandal. 296 00:14:30,860 --> 00:14:33,394 So far, investigators had linked the burglary 297 00:14:33,396 --> 00:14:34,996 to the Nixon campaign, 298 00:14:34,998 --> 00:14:40,001 but did the president himself know what was afoot? 299 00:14:40,003 --> 00:14:41,503 -David. -Hi, Don. 300 00:14:41,505 --> 00:14:43,638 -Nice to meet you. -Good to meet you, too. 301 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:45,640 To learn more about Nixon's personality 302 00:14:45,642 --> 00:14:49,043 and what might have driven him to become involved in Watergate, 303 00:14:49,045 --> 00:14:53,014 I'm meeting with author and historian David Greenberg. 304 00:14:53,016 --> 00:14:55,516 Nixon's career is amazing. 305 00:14:55,518 --> 00:14:57,685 I mean, it's a trajectory that goes from the highest 306 00:14:57,687 --> 00:14:59,387 to the lowest points in politics. 307 00:14:59,389 --> 00:15:02,690 Absolutely. I mean, he starts from pretty humble origins. 308 00:15:02,692 --> 00:15:06,727 Southern California, you know, father runs a gas station 309 00:15:06,729 --> 00:15:09,296 and, you know, not a family of great means. Mm-hmm. 310 00:15:09,298 --> 00:15:13,067 So he always feels like he's had to fight and claw 311 00:15:13,069 --> 00:15:14,535 to earn everything he's got. 312 00:15:14,537 --> 00:15:16,871 And he looks at people like the Kennedys 313 00:15:16,873 --> 00:15:19,874 and sees them as children of privilege 314 00:15:19,876 --> 00:15:23,511 who just get whatever they want. 315 00:15:23,513 --> 00:15:25,880 Nixon was really the ultimate outsider, wasn't he? 316 00:15:25,882 --> 00:15:30,050 Yeah. He's not a creature of the Eastern establishment, 317 00:15:30,052 --> 00:15:31,853 and he always, as a result, 318 00:15:31,855 --> 00:15:33,387 sort of had a chip on his shoulder, 319 00:15:33,389 --> 00:15:35,756 and he always felt he had to prove himself. 320 00:15:35,758 --> 00:15:39,961 He always feels like he's being kept down by the powers that be. 321 00:15:39,963 --> 00:15:42,463 A lot of the undoing that you see in Watergate 322 00:15:42,465 --> 00:15:45,900 stems from the sense of kind of grandiose entitlement 323 00:15:45,902 --> 00:15:48,302 that, because he's been kept down, 324 00:15:48,304 --> 00:15:51,906 he has right to go after what he wants. 325 00:15:51,908 --> 00:15:54,008 And in the summer of 1972, 326 00:15:54,010 --> 00:15:57,412 what Nixon wants is a second term. 327 00:15:57,414 --> 00:16:01,749 Behind closed doors, the Nixon White House goes into overdrive. 328 00:16:01,751 --> 00:16:03,751 They orchestrate a PR campaign 329 00:16:03,753 --> 00:16:06,053 to deny any involvement in the burglary 330 00:16:06,055 --> 00:16:09,657 whilst simultaneously trying to cover their tracks. 331 00:16:09,659 --> 00:16:11,559 With the election just months away, 332 00:16:11,561 --> 00:16:15,096 Nixon was leaving nothing to chance. 333 00:16:15,098 --> 00:16:16,965 I mean, Richard Nixon's reelection 334 00:16:16,967 --> 00:16:18,466 was going to be his victory lap. 335 00:16:18,468 --> 00:16:19,767 This was his crowning achievement 336 00:16:19,769 --> 00:16:21,235 of his political career. 337 00:16:21,237 --> 00:16:25,473 He really saw himself as having worked hard for this. 338 00:16:25,475 --> 00:16:28,309 He's an obsessive. He's controlled every detail. 339 00:16:28,311 --> 00:16:31,078 He's going to be one of the great presidents of all time, 340 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:33,348 but this was not to be the case. 341 00:16:33,350 --> 00:16:37,151 Well, he's undone by that same obsessive quality. 342 00:16:37,153 --> 00:16:41,856 That same quality that leads him to be so careful in his plotting 343 00:16:41,858 --> 00:16:45,159 and his controlling also leads him to, 344 00:16:45,161 --> 00:16:47,629 you know, undertake all these illegal activities 345 00:16:47,631 --> 00:16:50,298 that then wind up catching up with him. 346 00:16:53,102 --> 00:16:54,969 Thanks to Woodward and Bernstein, 347 00:16:54,971 --> 00:16:57,338 a story that the White House tried to dismiss 348 00:16:57,340 --> 00:17:01,676 as a third-rate burglary was starting to gain traction. 349 00:17:01,678 --> 00:17:05,046 But then the reporters hit a wall. 350 00:17:05,048 --> 00:17:07,514 To take the story further, they would need help 351 00:17:07,516 --> 00:17:10,584 from a particularly valuable informant. 352 00:17:10,586 --> 00:17:13,821 Much debate and controversy has surrounded the identity 353 00:17:13,823 --> 00:17:16,591 and the role of this secret source. 354 00:17:16,593 --> 00:17:19,160 Why for decades was their identity 355 00:17:19,162 --> 00:17:22,463 the biggest unsolved mystery in Watergate? 356 00:17:22,465 --> 00:17:24,432 Who was Deep Throat? 357 00:17:42,551 --> 00:17:44,319 What we know about Watergate 358 00:17:44,321 --> 00:17:46,454 came largely from the Washington Post 359 00:17:46,456 --> 00:17:49,724 and reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. 360 00:17:49,726 --> 00:17:51,258 But how did they know? 361 00:17:51,260 --> 00:17:54,095 Who were the sources that helped them break the story? 362 00:17:54,097 --> 00:17:57,165 And what about the most infamous informer of them all -- 363 00:17:57,167 --> 00:18:00,101 Deep Throat? 364 00:18:00,103 --> 00:18:01,702 Deep Throat was Bob Woodward's 365 00:18:01,704 --> 00:18:03,904 most valuable government informant, 366 00:18:03,906 --> 00:18:07,442 a source on the inside who secretly leaked information 367 00:18:07,444 --> 00:18:10,178 about the official investigation. 368 00:18:10,180 --> 00:18:12,480 The two men had met years earlier, 369 00:18:12,482 --> 00:18:15,650 and Deep Throat had provided information on previous stories. 370 00:18:15,652 --> 00:18:19,187 But this time, the stakes were far higher. 371 00:18:19,189 --> 00:18:22,656 He agreed to help if and only if Woodward agreed 372 00:18:22,658 --> 00:18:26,294 to never name or quote him, even anonymously. 373 00:18:26,296 --> 00:18:29,029 This meant that he was on deep background, 374 00:18:29,031 --> 00:18:32,166 but newsroom editors gave him his catchier code-name 375 00:18:32,168 --> 00:18:36,170 thanks to a popular adult movie of the time. 376 00:18:36,172 --> 00:18:38,272 Who was Deep Throat? 377 00:18:38,274 --> 00:18:40,441 Why was his role so important? 378 00:18:40,443 --> 00:18:42,710 And what questions still remain unanswered 379 00:18:42,712 --> 00:18:45,780 about this pivotal Watergate figure? 380 00:18:48,485 --> 00:18:51,419 To find out, I'm retracing Woodward's steps 381 00:18:51,421 --> 00:18:53,354 and making my way to the very location 382 00:18:53,356 --> 00:18:55,089 he met with Deep Throat. 383 00:19:01,664 --> 00:19:04,999 Woodward made elaborate plans to meet his source in secret, 384 00:19:05,001 --> 00:19:08,902 taking extreme caution to make sure he wasn't followed. 385 00:19:08,904 --> 00:19:11,672 He had to protect Deep Throat's identity. 386 00:19:11,674 --> 00:19:13,741 If they were discovered, his valuable source 387 00:19:13,743 --> 00:19:15,409 would be fired from the government, 388 00:19:15,411 --> 00:19:17,278 and the whole Watergate investigation 389 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:19,546 may have been derailed. 390 00:19:19,548 --> 00:19:21,282 It was a high-risk endeavor, 391 00:19:21,284 --> 00:19:25,018 and Woodward even worried his life was in danger. 392 00:19:27,356 --> 00:19:30,224 Where was Deep Throat getting his information? 393 00:19:30,226 --> 00:19:32,693 And who was this guy? 394 00:19:44,607 --> 00:19:46,373 Luke? 395 00:19:46,375 --> 00:19:48,876 -How you doing? -Good. How are you? 396 00:19:48,878 --> 00:19:50,945 Luke Nichter is a professor of history 397 00:19:50,947 --> 00:19:52,880 and an expert on Nixon. 398 00:19:52,882 --> 00:19:56,550 He's been studying Watergate for more than a decade. 399 00:19:56,552 --> 00:19:59,387 So, this is the actual parking garage 400 00:19:59,389 --> 00:20:02,055 that Woodward would meet with Deep Throat? 401 00:20:02,057 --> 00:20:03,624 -This is the place. -In this space? 402 00:20:03,626 --> 00:20:04,625 This is the exact space. 403 00:20:04,627 --> 00:20:06,360 That's incredible. 404 00:20:06,362 --> 00:20:09,530 The reporting that comes from Deep Throat was vital, right? 405 00:20:09,532 --> 00:20:11,632 This was a centerpiece to this reporting. 406 00:20:11,634 --> 00:20:14,902 I think, of all the sources that Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein 407 00:20:14,904 --> 00:20:16,771 had throughout their reporting of Watergate, 408 00:20:16,773 --> 00:20:18,439 Deep Throat was the most important source. 409 00:20:18,441 --> 00:20:20,875 He was someone at a very high level in the government. 410 00:20:20,877 --> 00:20:24,111 He's risking his job, doing something very dangerous, 411 00:20:24,113 --> 00:20:27,782 breaking the law for getting this information. 412 00:20:27,784 --> 00:20:31,985 In September 1972, three months after the break-in, 413 00:20:31,987 --> 00:20:36,123 the burglars were indicted, but the case seemed to stall. 414 00:20:36,125 --> 00:20:39,193 Both the press and the official investigation had connected 415 00:20:39,195 --> 00:20:42,864 the burglars to the committee to reelect the president. 416 00:20:42,866 --> 00:20:45,599 Could Deep Throat help Woodward take the story 417 00:20:45,601 --> 00:20:48,001 even further into the White House? 418 00:20:48,003 --> 00:20:51,339 Why did they need him? Why this source? 419 00:20:51,341 --> 00:20:53,074 Well, I think Woodward had gotten to a point 420 00:20:53,076 --> 00:20:56,076 in the reporting when he wasn't getting anywhere anymore, 421 00:20:56,078 --> 00:20:58,546 and his current sources had kind of dried up, 422 00:20:58,548 --> 00:21:00,348 and I think -- So meeting here 423 00:21:00,350 --> 00:21:03,384 really helped him to break open the investigation. 424 00:21:03,386 --> 00:21:04,719 So, what were these meetings like? 425 00:21:04,721 --> 00:21:06,119 What do they talk about? 426 00:21:06,121 --> 00:21:07,788 There was a new story every day 427 00:21:07,790 --> 00:21:09,189 on the front page of the Washington Post. 428 00:21:09,191 --> 00:21:10,792 So we're talking about kind of where you're going 429 00:21:10,794 --> 00:21:12,526 in your investigation. 430 00:21:12,528 --> 00:21:15,062 "This person's wrong. Consider this person." 431 00:21:15,064 --> 00:21:17,064 -Mm-hmm. -It could be a famous phrase, 432 00:21:17,066 --> 00:21:18,866 -"Follow the money." -Mm-hmm. 433 00:21:18,868 --> 00:21:21,335 Deep Throat did more than just confirm information. 434 00:21:21,337 --> 00:21:24,939 He did help Woodward navigate sources 435 00:21:24,941 --> 00:21:27,408 and ultimately follow the path 436 00:21:27,410 --> 00:21:30,011 that he took in the investigation. 437 00:21:30,013 --> 00:21:33,380 The contribution was immediate and began unraveling the mystery 438 00:21:33,382 --> 00:21:37,351 of what seemed to be a massive government conspiracy. 439 00:21:37,353 --> 00:21:39,320 Right away, Deep Throat helped reveal 440 00:21:39,322 --> 00:21:42,423 that the Watergate burglary was just one small part 441 00:21:42,425 --> 00:21:46,060 of a much larger pattern of espionage and dirty tricks 442 00:21:46,062 --> 00:21:49,663 orchestrated by the reelection campaign. 443 00:21:49,665 --> 00:21:53,334 And not only was Maurice Stans, the finance chairman, involved, 444 00:21:53,336 --> 00:21:55,803 but the campaign's director, John Mitchell, 445 00:21:55,805 --> 00:21:58,205 controlled a secret slush fund 446 00:21:58,207 --> 00:22:01,942 used to pay for this activity. 447 00:22:01,944 --> 00:22:04,712 But how did the source know all this? 448 00:22:04,714 --> 00:22:07,248 Who was Deep Throat? 449 00:22:07,250 --> 00:22:11,018 For decades, his identity was a closely guarded secret. 450 00:22:11,020 --> 00:22:14,722 Speculation ran rampant about who this person could be. 451 00:22:14,724 --> 00:22:17,491 Was it someone in the CIA or the White House? 452 00:22:17,493 --> 00:22:19,626 Who was it? 453 00:22:19,628 --> 00:22:21,429 And then in 2005, 454 00:22:21,431 --> 00:22:23,831 there was a dramatic revelation in the press. 455 00:22:23,833 --> 00:22:28,135 Finally, Deep Throat's real identity would be revealed. 456 00:22:28,137 --> 00:22:29,703 Deep Throat was said to be 457 00:22:29,705 --> 00:22:33,941 former FBI deputy director Mark Felt. 458 00:22:33,943 --> 00:22:36,910 So, Mark Felt was the deputy director of the FBI, 459 00:22:36,912 --> 00:22:38,813 quite high up in the FBI. 460 00:22:38,815 --> 00:22:41,849 This would be a very dangerous thing for him to do, right? 461 00:22:41,851 --> 00:22:44,652 Well, his agency was leading the investigation into Watergate, 462 00:22:44,654 --> 00:22:46,253 and so you have the number-two figure 463 00:22:46,255 --> 00:22:48,722 meeting privately here with reporters. 464 00:22:48,724 --> 00:22:50,491 So why would he put himself on the line? 465 00:22:50,493 --> 00:22:52,159 Why would Deep Throat do this? 466 00:22:52,161 --> 00:22:53,761 Well, I think he was obviously unhappy. 467 00:22:53,763 --> 00:22:55,129 I mean, whether the one theory's right 468 00:22:55,131 --> 00:22:57,264 that he wanted the top job at the FBI 469 00:22:57,266 --> 00:22:58,399 or that the other theory is right, 470 00:22:58,401 --> 00:23:00,801 that he thought it was good to help the press. 471 00:23:00,803 --> 00:23:03,103 He's obviously dissatisfied in his position 472 00:23:03,105 --> 00:23:06,574 and felt that this is the way that he can make a difference. 473 00:23:06,576 --> 00:23:09,377 Deep Throat was a vital source for Woodward and Bernstein 474 00:23:09,379 --> 00:23:10,578 and helped them take the story 475 00:23:10,580 --> 00:23:13,247 to the highest echelons of politics. 476 00:23:13,249 --> 00:23:15,983 With Deep Throat's help, the Watergate investigation 477 00:23:15,985 --> 00:23:20,053 sat squarely on the doorstep of the White House. 478 00:23:20,055 --> 00:23:22,823 If so many people working on Nixon's reelection campaign 479 00:23:22,825 --> 00:23:26,560 were involved, did the president know, too? 480 00:23:26,562 --> 00:23:31,365 Was he the mastermind behind the Watergate break-in? 481 00:23:31,367 --> 00:23:35,536 In 1973, Nixon won his reelection in a landslide, 482 00:23:35,538 --> 00:23:37,871 but this was no time for him to relax. 483 00:23:37,873 --> 00:23:40,874 The Watergate investigation was continuing to heat up 484 00:23:40,876 --> 00:23:44,044 and get closer and closer to the president. 485 00:23:44,046 --> 00:23:48,048 The next break in the case came thanks to a 1973 letter 486 00:23:48,050 --> 00:23:51,986 written by Watergate burglar James McCord. 487 00:23:51,988 --> 00:23:54,021 He confessed that he had been under pressure 488 00:23:54,023 --> 00:23:56,657 from the White House to keep quiet during his trial 489 00:23:56,659 --> 00:24:00,094 and that the full truth was yet to be revealed. 490 00:24:00,096 --> 00:24:02,629 The news of a potential White House cover-up 491 00:24:02,631 --> 00:24:06,233 got the attention of Capital Hill. 492 00:24:06,235 --> 00:24:08,035 Woodward and Bernstein's reporting, 493 00:24:08,037 --> 00:24:10,671 which at first seemed to have little impact, 494 00:24:10,673 --> 00:24:14,008 finally paid off in February 1973, 495 00:24:14,010 --> 00:24:17,344 when the U.S. Congress launched an official investigation 496 00:24:17,346 --> 00:24:20,014 into the Nixon campaign involvement in Watergate. 497 00:24:20,016 --> 00:24:21,582 And it was at those hearings 498 00:24:21,584 --> 00:24:24,151 that the scandal's most explosive bombshells 499 00:24:24,153 --> 00:24:25,653 were dropped. 500 00:24:28,257 --> 00:24:30,891 To find out more about these dramatic events, 501 00:24:30,893 --> 00:24:34,762 I'm meeting someone who reported on every one of them. 502 00:24:34,764 --> 00:24:36,163 Nice to meet you. 503 00:24:36,165 --> 00:24:37,498 Thank you so much for joining me. 504 00:24:37,500 --> 00:24:38,599 My pleasure. 505 00:24:38,601 --> 00:24:41,168 Lesley Stahl is one of America's most honored 506 00:24:41,170 --> 00:24:43,971 and experienced broadcast journalists. 507 00:24:43,973 --> 00:24:46,907 All though she is best known for her work on "60 Minutes," 508 00:24:46,909 --> 00:24:50,911 one of her first reporting jobs was covering Watergate. 509 00:24:50,913 --> 00:24:54,715 So, tell me about your first remembrance of Watergate. 510 00:24:54,717 --> 00:24:57,351 Where were you? And what did it mean at that moment? 511 00:24:57,353 --> 00:24:59,653 Well, I had just been hired by CBS News 512 00:24:59,655 --> 00:25:01,889 -in the Washington bureau. -Mm-hmm. 513 00:25:01,891 --> 00:25:03,958 And I was brand-new. 514 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:06,860 -And there was this burglary. -Okay. 515 00:25:06,862 --> 00:25:08,562 They just decided to send the new girl. 516 00:25:08,564 --> 00:25:10,064 -And that was you. -That was me. 517 00:25:10,066 --> 00:25:12,532 And I would report in to the television side 518 00:25:12,534 --> 00:25:13,868 that this was a really good story, 519 00:25:13,870 --> 00:25:17,338 and they'd yawn and say, "Thank you very much. Goodbye." 520 00:25:17,340 --> 00:25:21,075 I went to the first court appearance of the five burglars, 521 00:25:21,077 --> 00:25:23,410 and there was one other reporter in the courtroom. 522 00:25:23,412 --> 00:25:24,645 -Guess who it was? -Who? 523 00:25:24,647 --> 00:25:25,913 -Bob Woodward. -Oh, there you go. 524 00:25:25,915 --> 00:25:27,180 There you go. 525 00:25:27,182 --> 00:25:28,515 And we became friends. 526 00:25:28,517 --> 00:25:31,185 And from that minute on, he kept saying to me, 527 00:25:31,187 --> 00:25:33,220 "Don't let them take you off this story." 528 00:25:33,222 --> 00:25:35,422 At that time, I mean, you're hot on the trail of the story. 529 00:25:35,424 --> 00:25:37,658 Was it frustrating to you that it wasn't being picked up 530 00:25:37,660 --> 00:25:39,960 -as a national topic? -Yeah. 531 00:25:39,962 --> 00:25:43,664 Really the only people covering the story at all 532 00:25:43,666 --> 00:25:46,000 was the Washington Post. 533 00:25:46,002 --> 00:25:48,401 But when the Senate Watergate hearings kicked off 534 00:25:48,403 --> 00:25:50,837 in the spring of 1973... 535 00:25:52,374 --> 00:25:54,007 Committee will come to order. 536 00:25:54,009 --> 00:25:57,011 ...the public began to take notice. 537 00:25:57,013 --> 00:25:59,413 This was a big step in the investigation, 538 00:25:59,415 --> 00:26:02,349 a special committee established by the U.S. Senate 539 00:26:02,351 --> 00:26:05,452 to dive deep into the Watergate scandal. 540 00:26:05,454 --> 00:26:08,923 Now with the power to subpoena materials and witnesses, 541 00:26:08,925 --> 00:26:11,458 the investigation intensified. 542 00:26:11,460 --> 00:26:15,162 It quickly became the all-time most famous Senate investigation 543 00:26:15,164 --> 00:26:17,898 into presidential misconduct. And for months, 544 00:26:17,900 --> 00:26:21,435 the whole country was fixated on the hearings. 545 00:26:21,437 --> 00:26:24,205 At some point, this becomes a congressional affair. 546 00:26:24,207 --> 00:26:25,872 -Correct. -There's the Senate hearings, 547 00:26:25,874 --> 00:26:28,041 which all of America was tuning into. 548 00:26:28,043 --> 00:26:31,745 All three networks covered this gavel to gavel, 549 00:26:31,747 --> 00:26:33,847 -meaning all day long. -Yeah. 550 00:26:33,849 --> 00:26:36,016 And the whole country watched. 551 00:26:36,018 --> 00:26:37,985 -It's was major, major thing. -Huge. 552 00:26:37,987 --> 00:26:41,355 Not only in this country was it the only story. 553 00:26:41,357 --> 00:26:43,090 -Yeah. -Around the world, 554 00:26:43,092 --> 00:26:46,059 they were coming in to see the spectacle. 555 00:26:48,731 --> 00:26:53,167 And then, of course, finally, the president's own counsel, 556 00:26:53,169 --> 00:26:56,770 John Dean, his own White House lawyer, 557 00:26:56,772 --> 00:26:59,039 testified against the president. 558 00:27:01,577 --> 00:27:02,810 A very big day. 559 00:27:02,812 --> 00:27:04,178 Huge. 560 00:27:04,180 --> 00:27:06,480 John Dean was the first insider 561 00:27:06,482 --> 00:27:08,482 -who came to blow the whistle. -Mm, okay. 562 00:27:08,484 --> 00:27:10,885 And he did blow the whistle. 563 00:27:10,887 --> 00:27:13,387 No longer was Watergate a bizarre burglary 564 00:27:13,389 --> 00:27:16,023 that few people seemed to know or care about, 565 00:27:16,025 --> 00:27:18,492 but a major news story that was officially 566 00:27:18,494 --> 00:27:21,962 about to be brought inside the Oval Office. 567 00:27:35,510 --> 00:27:38,178 June 1973 -- 568 00:27:38,180 --> 00:27:42,116 White House counsel John Dean testified at the Senate hearings 569 00:27:42,118 --> 00:27:45,019 that the president not only knew about Watergate 570 00:27:45,021 --> 00:27:48,088 but was actively involved in the cover-up. 571 00:27:48,090 --> 00:27:50,658 It was an explosive accusation. 572 00:27:50,660 --> 00:27:52,926 And in great detail, Dean explained 573 00:27:52,928 --> 00:27:56,397 how White House officials, including the president himself, 574 00:27:56,399 --> 00:27:58,131 had obstructed justice 575 00:27:58,133 --> 00:28:00,034 in an attempt to hide their involvement 576 00:28:00,036 --> 00:28:02,168 in the Watergate burglary. 577 00:28:02,170 --> 00:28:04,271 I began by telling the president 578 00:28:04,273 --> 00:28:08,075 that there was a cancer growing on the presidency. 579 00:28:08,077 --> 00:28:10,444 Two of the president's closest aides, 580 00:28:10,446 --> 00:28:14,415 H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, resigned. 581 00:28:14,417 --> 00:28:16,383 And now for the first time, 582 00:28:16,385 --> 00:28:18,986 Watergate had reached Nixon himself. 583 00:28:18,988 --> 00:28:21,088 The Washington Post reporting on Watergate 584 00:28:21,090 --> 00:28:23,090 triggered a congressional investigation 585 00:28:23,092 --> 00:28:24,291 that pointed the finger 586 00:28:24,293 --> 00:28:27,361 directly at the president of the United States. 587 00:28:27,363 --> 00:28:29,496 However, with no hard evidence 588 00:28:29,498 --> 00:28:32,099 and just Dean's testimony to go by, 589 00:28:32,101 --> 00:28:34,468 it was just his word against the president's, 590 00:28:34,470 --> 00:28:37,104 and Nixon was denying everything. 591 00:28:37,106 --> 00:28:39,973 But on July 16, 1973, 592 00:28:39,975 --> 00:28:43,243 that would all change. 593 00:28:43,245 --> 00:28:45,012 This day would be the most dramatic 594 00:28:45,014 --> 00:28:47,547 of the Watergate investigation to date, 595 00:28:47,549 --> 00:28:50,551 because when former Nixon aide Alexander Butterfield 596 00:28:50,553 --> 00:28:54,555 was called to the stand, he made a shocking revelation. 597 00:28:54,557 --> 00:28:58,392 I was aware of listening devices. 598 00:28:58,394 --> 00:29:00,093 Yes, sir. 599 00:29:00,095 --> 00:29:03,731 President Nixon had tapes of his conversations. 600 00:29:03,733 --> 00:29:05,866 People around the country gasped. 601 00:29:05,868 --> 00:29:08,067 The media spun into a fury. 602 00:29:08,069 --> 00:29:10,671 Nixon had bugged himself. 603 00:29:12,874 --> 00:29:15,875 The tapes were the evidence that changed everything. 604 00:29:15,877 --> 00:29:18,078 If not for those recordings, 605 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:19,880 maybe Nixon would have gotten away with it. 606 00:29:19,882 --> 00:29:22,916 Maybe Watergate would have faded from memory altogether. 607 00:29:22,918 --> 00:29:26,687 Instead, it remains with us to this day as fascinating as ever, 608 00:29:26,689 --> 00:29:29,490 the high watermark of political scandal. 609 00:29:29,492 --> 00:29:31,658 But where did the tapes come from, 610 00:29:31,660 --> 00:29:35,429 and how did this secret recording system work? 611 00:29:35,431 --> 00:29:37,031 To find answers, I'm headed 612 00:29:37,033 --> 00:29:39,767 to the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum 613 00:29:39,769 --> 00:29:42,936 in Yorba Linda, California. 614 00:29:42,938 --> 00:29:44,305 Hi, Olivia. Nice to meet you. 615 00:29:44,307 --> 00:29:45,906 Hi, Don. Welcome to the Nixon Library. 616 00:29:45,908 --> 00:29:47,207 Thank you so much. 617 00:29:47,209 --> 00:29:50,744 Olivia Anastasiadis is a supervisory curator here. 618 00:29:50,746 --> 00:29:53,814 She knows all about the secret recording system. 619 00:29:53,816 --> 00:29:55,048 There it is. 620 00:29:55,050 --> 00:29:58,619 So, this is a perfect replica of Nixon's Oval Office? 621 00:29:58,621 --> 00:29:59,919 -Right. -'Cause it's got 622 00:29:59,921 --> 00:30:02,288 -all the California gold. -That's right. 623 00:30:02,290 --> 00:30:04,725 Dang, this is amazing. 624 00:30:04,727 --> 00:30:07,927 The system of recording, where are the mics actually located? 625 00:30:07,929 --> 00:30:10,064 So, on this desk, there were five, 626 00:30:10,066 --> 00:30:13,467 one at each end so that they can pick up conversations. 627 00:30:13,469 --> 00:30:15,535 If people were sitting here, there was one here 628 00:30:15,537 --> 00:30:16,870 and one here at the center 629 00:30:16,872 --> 00:30:18,839 and one there at the president's chair. 630 00:30:18,841 --> 00:30:20,874 And at the sconces by the fireplace, 631 00:30:20,876 --> 00:30:22,208 there'd be one on either side. 632 00:30:22,210 --> 00:30:24,177 So seven microphones in total. 633 00:30:24,179 --> 00:30:25,712 -Right. -Mostly around here. 634 00:30:25,714 --> 00:30:27,247 -Yes. -And that's how many there were 635 00:30:27,249 --> 00:30:29,383 -in the Oval Office. -In the Oval Office, yes. 636 00:30:29,385 --> 00:30:31,018 And how was it activated? 637 00:30:31,020 --> 00:30:33,019 How did it -- What was the technology involved? 638 00:30:33,021 --> 00:30:34,488 It was sound activated. 639 00:30:34,490 --> 00:30:37,391 Basically, he'd walk in a room, and the recording would begin. 640 00:30:37,393 --> 00:30:39,292 Okay. So, every day, 641 00:30:39,294 --> 00:30:41,494 seven listening devices in this room 642 00:30:41,496 --> 00:30:44,364 are recording anything that pretty much happens in here. 643 00:30:44,366 --> 00:30:47,134 And those tapes are being kept inside the White House. 644 00:30:47,136 --> 00:30:49,169 Yes. 645 00:30:49,171 --> 00:30:51,572 What a lot of people don't know is that Nixon 646 00:30:51,574 --> 00:30:55,742 was not the first president to install recording devices. 647 00:30:55,744 --> 00:30:57,744 Presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt 648 00:30:57,746 --> 00:30:59,212 to Lyndon B. Johnson 649 00:30:59,214 --> 00:31:01,481 all recorded certain conversations 650 00:31:01,483 --> 00:31:05,586 to make sure they had accurate records of important events. 651 00:31:05,588 --> 00:31:08,355 But Nixon's was the most extensive system, 652 00:31:08,357 --> 00:31:12,659 generating far more recordings than any president before him, 653 00:31:12,661 --> 00:31:15,728 and only a handful of people even knew about it. 654 00:31:15,730 --> 00:31:17,397 I remember this when I was young. 655 00:31:17,399 --> 00:31:19,365 Everybody thought this was the first time, 656 00:31:19,367 --> 00:31:21,968 that Nixon was the first to record in the White House, 657 00:31:21,970 --> 00:31:23,236 but that's not true at all. 658 00:31:23,238 --> 00:31:26,073 Many of our presidents recorded their conversations 659 00:31:26,075 --> 00:31:28,341 to be sure that what they said is what they said. 660 00:31:28,343 --> 00:31:30,511 Right. What distinguished his system from others? 661 00:31:30,513 --> 00:31:33,347 I guess if you're talking about the amount of hours 662 00:31:33,349 --> 00:31:34,881 that were recorded, 663 00:31:34,883 --> 00:31:38,886 Roosevelt only recorded about 200-and-something hours. 664 00:31:38,888 --> 00:31:42,155 President Kennedy about 640 hours. 665 00:31:42,157 --> 00:31:43,723 President Nixon, on the other hand, 666 00:31:43,725 --> 00:31:45,992 had about 3,700 hours 667 00:31:45,994 --> 00:31:48,929 -of recorded conversations. -Interesting. 668 00:31:48,931 --> 00:31:53,133 Nixon was determined to keep his recordings private. 669 00:31:53,135 --> 00:31:55,802 When the tapes were subpoenaed by the special prosecutor, 670 00:31:55,804 --> 00:31:59,172 Archibald Cox, Nixon refused to hand them over 671 00:31:59,174 --> 00:32:02,309 and ordered that Cox be fired. 672 00:32:02,311 --> 00:32:04,177 It resulted in a massive shake-up 673 00:32:04,179 --> 00:32:05,512 at the Justice Department 674 00:32:05,514 --> 00:32:09,850 in what became known as the Saturday Night Massacre. 675 00:32:09,852 --> 00:32:12,486 But what did Nixon have to hide? 676 00:32:12,488 --> 00:32:15,688 When the tapes became public, one tape in particular, 677 00:32:15,690 --> 00:32:17,357 "the Smoking Gun" tape, 678 00:32:17,359 --> 00:32:21,228 proved that Nixon was involved in the cover-up all along. 679 00:32:28,704 --> 00:32:30,971 In another tape, Nixon can be heard 680 00:32:30,973 --> 00:32:34,641 discussing the payment of hush money to the burglars. 681 00:32:44,219 --> 00:32:46,053 When these tapes became public, 682 00:32:46,055 --> 00:32:48,655 it was catastrophic for Nixon. 683 00:32:48,657 --> 00:32:50,490 And the president, who only months before 684 00:32:50,492 --> 00:32:52,292 had won in a landslide, 685 00:32:52,294 --> 00:32:55,361 saw his approval ratings plummet. 686 00:32:55,363 --> 00:32:57,030 With this evidence now available 687 00:32:57,032 --> 00:32:59,399 and the public no longer on his side, 688 00:32:59,401 --> 00:33:03,003 the president faced almost certain impeachment. 689 00:33:03,005 --> 00:33:05,605 On August 8, 1974, 690 00:33:05,607 --> 00:33:09,008 Nixon chose to resign before that could happen. 691 00:33:09,010 --> 00:33:12,645 Therefore, I shall resign the presidency 692 00:33:12,647 --> 00:33:14,848 effective at noon tomorrow. 693 00:33:22,524 --> 00:33:25,758 After delivering his farewell address to his staff, 694 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:28,695 President Richard Nixon left the White House 695 00:33:28,697 --> 00:33:31,898 and then boarded this helicopter, Army One, 696 00:33:31,900 --> 00:33:34,634 that would carry him away from Washington, D.C., 697 00:33:34,636 --> 00:33:36,336 and the presidency. 698 00:33:36,338 --> 00:33:40,139 Then, in a broadcast watched by millions of people, 699 00:33:40,141 --> 00:33:42,442 Nixon reached the top of the stairs 700 00:33:42,444 --> 00:33:44,678 and then turned back to the cameras 701 00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:49,816 and gave his iconic "V for victory" salute. 702 00:33:49,818 --> 00:33:52,018 By the time this helicopter had landed, 703 00:33:52,020 --> 00:33:55,222 Nixon was no longer president of the United States. 704 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:01,828 But the story didn't end there. 705 00:34:01,830 --> 00:34:06,166 Since 1974, roughly 3,000 hours of Nixon's tapes 706 00:34:06,168 --> 00:34:09,036 have been released to the public, 707 00:34:09,038 --> 00:34:10,770 but there is one recording in particular 708 00:34:10,772 --> 00:34:13,440 that continues to intrigue people today 709 00:34:13,442 --> 00:34:16,376 and that some believe to be potentially more incriminating 710 00:34:16,378 --> 00:34:19,613 than any other Watergate tape. 711 00:34:19,615 --> 00:34:22,882 It's a recording from June 20, 1972, 712 00:34:22,884 --> 00:34:25,585 just three days after the Watergate break-in, 713 00:34:25,587 --> 00:34:29,122 and it has a mysterious gap of 18 1/2 minutes 714 00:34:29,124 --> 00:34:31,592 right when the president was in a crucial meeting 715 00:34:31,594 --> 00:34:34,594 with his Chief of Staff, H.R. Haldeman. 716 00:34:34,596 --> 00:34:36,763 Haldeman was the gatekeeper to the president 717 00:34:36,765 --> 00:34:39,633 and perhaps his most loyal and trusted advisor. 718 00:34:39,635 --> 00:34:43,437 He was one of the key figures in the Watergate cover-up. 719 00:34:43,439 --> 00:34:46,672 No single artifact of the Watergate investigation 720 00:34:46,674 --> 00:34:49,909 has garnered so much attention and so many theories 721 00:34:49,911 --> 00:34:52,412 as the so-called "Missing Minutes" tape. 722 00:34:52,414 --> 00:34:54,815 Why did a potentially crucial conversation 723 00:34:54,817 --> 00:34:58,485 contain such a large lapse in its recording? 724 00:34:58,487 --> 00:34:59,786 How did this happen? 725 00:34:59,788 --> 00:35:01,821 Did somebody tamper with the tape? 726 00:35:01,823 --> 00:35:04,658 And what might have been said in these missing minutes? 727 00:35:22,511 --> 00:35:26,012 The Watergate scandal has fascinated people for decades, 728 00:35:26,014 --> 00:35:29,216 and yet there are still mysteries that remain. 729 00:35:29,218 --> 00:35:32,452 The most intriguing perhaps concerns an infamous tape 730 00:35:32,454 --> 00:35:35,055 from June 20, 1972, 731 00:35:35,057 --> 00:35:38,759 just three days after the Watergate break-in. 732 00:35:38,761 --> 00:35:40,827 Why does a tape recording of a conversation 733 00:35:40,829 --> 00:35:43,630 between President Nixon and his Chief of Staff 734 00:35:43,632 --> 00:35:45,465 contain a mysterious gap 735 00:35:45,467 --> 00:35:48,902 of more than 18 minutes? 736 00:35:48,904 --> 00:35:52,739 A more recent investigation may hold some answers. 737 00:35:52,741 --> 00:35:53,773 Hi, Martha. How are you doing? 738 00:35:53,775 --> 00:35:55,375 Hi. It's very nice to meet you. 739 00:35:55,377 --> 00:35:57,910 Martha Murphy is chief of special access 740 00:35:57,912 --> 00:36:01,915 at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland. 741 00:36:01,917 --> 00:36:03,016 There's something about this tape 742 00:36:03,018 --> 00:36:04,884 that's very interesting and very historic, right? 743 00:36:04,886 --> 00:36:05,986 -Right. -What is that? 744 00:36:05,988 --> 00:36:08,187 There's an 18-1/2-minute gap 745 00:36:08,189 --> 00:36:10,090 where there's no recording at all, 746 00:36:10,092 --> 00:36:11,424 -just a buzzing sound. -18? 747 00:36:11,426 --> 00:36:14,961 Wow. Okay. So this is perhaps one of the great mysteries 748 00:36:14,963 --> 00:36:16,362 of the whole Watergate thing, 749 00:36:16,364 --> 00:36:18,831 because this is as close in as you get. 750 00:36:18,833 --> 00:36:21,234 So, since we've had the tapes in our custody, 751 00:36:21,236 --> 00:36:23,303 we have done work to try to recover 752 00:36:23,305 --> 00:36:25,138 -any kind of sound on there. -Okay. 753 00:36:25,140 --> 00:36:27,007 To date, we have not been able to recover anything 754 00:36:27,009 --> 00:36:28,909 -off the tapes. -No kidding. 755 00:36:28,911 --> 00:36:31,144 But while no sound has yet been recovered, 756 00:36:31,146 --> 00:36:34,580 all is not lost, because in the intervening years, 757 00:36:34,582 --> 00:36:36,149 something else has surfaced 758 00:36:36,151 --> 00:36:39,619 that could reveal what was discussed that day. 759 00:36:39,621 --> 00:36:41,822 Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman took notes 760 00:36:41,824 --> 00:36:43,723 from this meeting with the president, 761 00:36:43,725 --> 00:36:45,392 and these notes explicitly state 762 00:36:45,394 --> 00:36:49,262 that one of the topics of conversation was Watergate. 763 00:36:49,264 --> 00:36:52,332 Could these notes finally reveal the contents 764 00:36:52,334 --> 00:36:55,302 of the 18-1/2-minute gap? 765 00:36:55,304 --> 00:36:58,037 So, this is the first page, and this is the second page. 766 00:36:58,039 --> 00:37:00,040 So I'm looking at Haldeman's writing? 767 00:37:00,042 --> 00:37:01,341 That's correct. 768 00:37:01,343 --> 00:37:04,110 We have two pages of notes that Haldeman took 769 00:37:04,112 --> 00:37:06,113 when he was having the conversation with the president. 770 00:37:06,115 --> 00:37:07,714 Wow, this is amazing. 771 00:37:07,716 --> 00:37:10,016 When you get here, he says, 772 00:37:10,018 --> 00:37:13,153 "Be sure EOB office 773 00:37:13,155 --> 00:37:14,554 is thoroughly..." 774 00:37:14,556 --> 00:37:15,855 "Checked re: bugs at all times." 775 00:37:15,857 --> 00:37:17,958 "...checked regarding bugs at all times, et cetera." 776 00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:19,159 Well, this gets very interesting. 777 00:37:19,161 --> 00:37:21,093 So then we're getting into a conversation 778 00:37:21,095 --> 00:37:22,629 that's more related to Watergate. 779 00:37:22,631 --> 00:37:24,664 Are these the only notes that exist of this? 780 00:37:24,666 --> 00:37:26,399 I mean, is there something missing? 781 00:37:26,401 --> 00:37:28,802 It is possible that there may have been other notes 782 00:37:28,804 --> 00:37:31,637 that were disposed of before they were given over, 783 00:37:31,639 --> 00:37:34,641 just because it appears that there is a gap in the notes 784 00:37:34,643 --> 00:37:37,844 just like there's a gap in the tape. 785 00:37:37,846 --> 00:37:39,880 Doubting that this could happen by chance, 786 00:37:39,882 --> 00:37:43,717 experts at the National Archives decided to dig deeper, 787 00:37:43,719 --> 00:37:46,987 and they soon noticed something amiss. 788 00:37:46,989 --> 00:37:50,523 They were able to determine that the date at the top... 789 00:37:50,525 --> 00:37:52,192 -Mm-hmm. -...and the number 790 00:37:52,194 --> 00:37:54,895 on the second page were actually a different ink... 791 00:37:54,897 --> 00:37:56,629 -Oh, interesting. -...than the ink 792 00:37:56,631 --> 00:37:57,897 on the main section. 793 00:37:57,899 --> 00:38:01,201 Wow. Okay. So that's a suspicious thing. 794 00:38:01,203 --> 00:38:02,735 Next, they turned their attention 795 00:38:02,737 --> 00:38:04,738 to the rest of the pages. 796 00:38:04,740 --> 00:38:07,140 They realized that if there were ever other notes 797 00:38:07,142 --> 00:38:10,376 from this conversation, it's possible that their imprint 798 00:38:10,378 --> 00:38:13,813 may still remain on these very pages. 799 00:38:13,815 --> 00:38:17,650 And so a team of specialists performed high-tech tests 800 00:38:17,652 --> 00:38:20,453 to search for signs of such imprints. 801 00:38:20,455 --> 00:38:23,156 What we found at the end of that was that it appeared 802 00:38:23,158 --> 00:38:25,692 that there might have been a signature, 803 00:38:25,694 --> 00:38:27,727 kind of slanted on it, 804 00:38:27,729 --> 00:38:30,896 but we were not able to discern anything 805 00:38:30,898 --> 00:38:32,799 that would have led to more information 806 00:38:32,801 --> 00:38:34,200 about the actual conversation 807 00:38:34,202 --> 00:38:37,470 between Haldeman and the president. 808 00:38:37,472 --> 00:38:40,173 Perhaps there is no record of this conversation 809 00:38:40,175 --> 00:38:41,775 because it involved the president 810 00:38:41,777 --> 00:38:44,310 talking about specific incriminating knowledge 811 00:38:44,312 --> 00:38:46,079 of the burglary. 812 00:38:46,081 --> 00:38:48,681 Or maybe the gaps in the tapes and notes 813 00:38:48,683 --> 00:38:50,717 are just a coincidence. 814 00:38:50,719 --> 00:38:53,119 Until new technologies become available, 815 00:38:53,121 --> 00:38:55,288 we may never know for sure. 816 00:38:55,290 --> 00:38:56,623 Watergate has given us more 817 00:38:56,625 --> 00:38:59,325 than just a lot of unanswered questions. 818 00:38:59,327 --> 00:39:02,128 The scandal had a huge influence on the law, 819 00:39:02,130 --> 00:39:05,465 on media, the public perception of the presidency. 820 00:39:05,467 --> 00:39:07,200 So what's the takeaway? 821 00:39:07,202 --> 00:39:10,336 What's the legacy of Watergate, its impact on the country? 822 00:39:10,338 --> 00:39:12,572 What does Watergate mean to us today? 823 00:39:24,586 --> 00:39:26,285 Good evening. 824 00:39:26,287 --> 00:39:29,555 The Watergate scandal ended the presidency of Richard Nixon 825 00:39:29,557 --> 00:39:32,658 and rocked the world of U.S. politics. 826 00:39:32,660 --> 00:39:36,696 I shall resign the presidency effective at noon tomorrow. 827 00:39:36,698 --> 00:39:39,766 The Watergate burglary exposed an extensive campaign 828 00:39:39,768 --> 00:39:41,767 of underhanded activities 829 00:39:41,769 --> 00:39:44,404 financed by the committee to reelect the president 830 00:39:44,406 --> 00:39:47,173 and with Nixon complicit. 831 00:39:47,175 --> 00:39:49,943 In the years that followed, Watergate continued to impact 832 00:39:49,945 --> 00:39:52,245 and influence the country. 833 00:39:52,247 --> 00:39:55,515 It's a scandal that has changed America forever. 834 00:39:58,553 --> 00:40:02,722 To find out how, I'm headed to the perfect place. 835 00:40:02,724 --> 00:40:04,491 Congressman Nolan, thank you so much for meeting me. 836 00:40:04,493 --> 00:40:06,426 Yeah, nice to see you. Welcome to the capital. 837 00:40:06,428 --> 00:40:08,194 Congressman Rick Nolan was elected 838 00:40:08,196 --> 00:40:11,931 to the House of Representatives in 1974. 839 00:40:11,933 --> 00:40:15,035 He has been involved in politics right from the time of Watergate 840 00:40:15,037 --> 00:40:17,871 and helped the country recover from the crisis. 841 00:40:20,241 --> 00:40:23,476 So, when you talk about Watergate these days, 842 00:40:23,478 --> 00:40:24,677 how do you reflect back on it? 843 00:40:24,679 --> 00:40:27,480 What is the legacy of all that for you? 844 00:40:27,482 --> 00:40:31,584 Well, the the importance of Watergate for me 845 00:40:31,586 --> 00:40:35,554 is it proved the rule of law in that nobody, 846 00:40:35,556 --> 00:40:38,457 -nobody is above the law... -Okay. 847 00:40:38,459 --> 00:40:40,727 ...even the president of the United States. 848 00:40:40,729 --> 00:40:43,529 The media did its job, the fourth estate. 849 00:40:43,531 --> 00:40:45,465 The special counsel did its job. 850 00:40:45,467 --> 00:40:47,266 The Congress did its job. 851 00:40:47,268 --> 00:40:51,404 The Supreme Court did its job, and we took a moment 852 00:40:51,406 --> 00:40:54,874 of Constitutional crises and great fear, 853 00:40:54,876 --> 00:40:56,343 and we turned it into something positive. 854 00:40:56,345 --> 00:40:58,344 All right. Yeah. There was a job to be done. 855 00:40:58,346 --> 00:41:00,613 There was a job to be done, and we did it. 856 00:41:00,615 --> 00:41:03,817 We enacted a number of reforms going forward. 857 00:41:03,819 --> 00:41:05,051 We're going to make people disclose 858 00:41:05,053 --> 00:41:06,752 where their money's coming from 859 00:41:06,754 --> 00:41:08,821 and where their money's going to. 860 00:41:08,823 --> 00:41:10,957 And we're going to have more transparency. 861 00:41:10,959 --> 00:41:13,526 So you really changed the mechanism of Congress. 862 00:41:13,528 --> 00:41:15,362 -We did. Yeah. -Okay. 863 00:41:15,364 --> 00:41:17,964 And Watergate didn't just change Congress. 864 00:41:17,966 --> 00:41:20,833 It made heroes of investigative journalists 865 00:41:20,835 --> 00:41:25,672 and dramatically altered how people view the presidency. 866 00:41:25,674 --> 00:41:28,941 On September 8, 1974, Richard Nixon 867 00:41:28,943 --> 00:41:32,344 was pardoned by President Gerald Ford. 868 00:41:32,346 --> 00:41:35,414 But although Nixon avoided prosecution over Watergate, 869 00:41:35,416 --> 00:41:37,950 he lived the rest of his days in its shadow, 870 00:41:37,952 --> 00:41:42,322 his name forever synonymous with the scandal. 871 00:41:42,324 --> 00:41:46,192 Watergate was the political scandal that gripped a nation. 872 00:41:46,194 --> 00:41:48,894 What began as a break-in at a hotel 873 00:41:48,896 --> 00:41:52,031 revealed a complex cover-up and conspiracy 874 00:41:52,033 --> 00:41:54,868 that led to a president resigning. 875 00:41:54,870 --> 00:41:57,537 The scandal decimated trust in America 876 00:41:57,539 --> 00:41:59,005 and allowed people to believe 877 00:41:59,007 --> 00:42:01,907 the most outlandish accusations could be true. 878 00:42:01,909 --> 00:42:04,043 Even at the highest office, 879 00:42:04,045 --> 00:42:06,679 people were capable of the lowest acts. 880 00:42:06,681 --> 00:42:08,915 Presidents were fallible. 881 00:42:08,917 --> 00:42:11,618 Now, more than 45 years later, 882 00:42:11,620 --> 00:42:14,954 Watergate continues to resonate in modern-day politics, 883 00:42:14,956 --> 00:42:17,356 serving as a warning to those in power 884 00:42:17,358 --> 00:42:19,992 that becoming blind to the moral, ethical, 885 00:42:19,994 --> 00:42:22,929 and legal implications of their actions 886 00:42:22,931 --> 00:42:25,432 can have devastating consequences.