Watergate break-in

The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal that occurred in the United States during the early 1970s, following a break-in by 4 Cuban Americans and 1 American at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. on June 17, 1972. What escalated matters was President Richard Nixon’s administration attempt to cover-up its involvement. After the 5 burglars were caught and the conspiracy was discovered, Watergate was investigated by the U.S. Congress; meanwhile Nixon's administration was resisting to its probes, which led to a constitutional crisis.

The term Watergate, by metonymy, has come to encompass an array of clandestine and often illegal activities undertaken by members of the Nixon administration. Those activities included such “dirty tricks” as bugging the offices of political opponents and people of whom Nixon or his officials were suspicious. Nixon and his close aides also 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).

The scandal led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power by members of the Nixon administration, an impeachment process against the president that led to articles of impeachment, and the resignation of Nixon. The scandal also resulted in the indictment of 69 people, with trials or pleas resulting in 48 being found guilty, many of whom were Nixon’s top administration officials.

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