The Watergate Scandal - Research Paper Example

President Richard Nixon took further steps by forming the ‘White House Plumbers’ to help keep such intentions as hidden as possible. Members of the organization were high-ranking government officials. Some were even members of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and had specific knowledge and abilities that enabled them to carry out their part in the burglary. This scheme was morally wrong for it was a deceitful attempt to re-elect the president. Nixon, by being involved in this scandal, violated his oath.

The moral integrity of the CREEP members was already suspect based on their political behavior before the Watergate. Washington, D.C. police had taken into custody five men headed by James W. McCord Jr. on the 17th of June 1972. The five, captured with electronic surveillance equipment, had tried to install listening devices in the Democratic headquarters to find out Democratic campaign preparations (Friedman & Levantrosser 98). The men were discovered to be affiliated to the Republic Committee to Re-Elect the President (CREEP).

Papers kept by these men also involved White House advisor E. Howard Hunt and CREEP assistant G. Gordon Liddy. President Nixon openly disproved any allegation that he was involved “in this very bizarre incident” (Barden 19). The Washington court charged the seven men with eavesdropping, burglary, and conspiracy. Judge John Sirica, the one who presided over the case, believes that other high-ranking government officials were informed of the break-in and the efforts to keep it hidden. Nixon revealed in April 1973 that “there had been an effort to conceal the facts,” (Barden 19) and held his personnel responsible.

He denied any knowledge of the scheme. Meanwhile, while in prison, McCord revealed that he and the others had been forced by high-ranking Republican Party officers to keep their