The Watergate scandal didn’t just end a presidency; it revealed a world of “political dirty tricks” that were often as clumsy as they were illegal.
1. The “Duct Tape” Mistake
The entire scandal was blown open because of a piece of tape. Security guard Frank Wills noticed tape over a door latch at the Watergate complex to keep it from locking. He removed it, but when he returned later, the burglars had re-applied the tape. Realizing an intruder was inside, he called the police.
2. The Burglars Were “Plumbers”
The group was officially known as the “White House Plumbers.” Their job wasn’t to fix pipes, but to “stop leaks” of classified information to the press. Their first major operation wasn’t Watergate, but the 1971 burglary of Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office (Ellsberg had leaked the Pentagon Papers).
3. The Mysterious 18½-Minute Gap
One of the most famous pieces of evidence is the gap in the “Smoking Gun” tapes. Nixon’s secretary, Rose Mary Woods, claimed she accidentally erased the audio while stretching to reach a pedal on her transcriber while the phone rang. This awkward physical feat became known as the “Rose Mary Stretch,” and a staged photo of her doing it only made the public more suspicious.
4. Martha Mitchell was Right
Martha Mitchell, the wife of Attorney General John Mitchell, was the first to publicly claim that the White House was involved in illegal activities. To keep her quiet, she was reportedly kidnapped, held in a hotel room, and forcibly injected with a sedative by security agents. For years, she was dismissed as having mental health issues—a phenomenon now known in psychology as the “Martha Mitchell Effect.”
5. Deep Throat’s Identity was a 33-Year Secret
The identity of the informant “Deep Throat” remained one of the greatest mysteries in American history until 2005. It was finally revealed to be Mark Felt, the Associate Director of the FBI. Only three people knew his identity for over three decades: Felt himself, and reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.
6. The “Breadcrumb” Address Books
The burglars weren’t exactly master spies. When they were arrested, police found several of them carrying address books that contained the name and home phone number of E. Howard Hunt, a former CIA officer who worked at the White House. This provided an immediate, direct link between the break-in and the President’s staff.
7. Nixon’s Secret Recording System
Nixon didn’t just record meetings; he had a voice-activated system. He installed it because he wanted an accurate record for his memoirs. Ironically, the system was so “good” at catching every word that it became the primary tool for his downfall. He even recorded himself discussing how to pay hush money to the burglars.
8. The “Saturday Night Massacre”
This wasn’t a physical event, but a legal one. On October 20, 1973, Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire the special prosecutor investigating him. Richardson refused and resigned. Nixon then ordered the Deputy Attorney General to do it; he also refused and resigned. Finally, the Solicitor General (Robert Bork) complied.
9. The Missing Gold Medals
In the chaos of his final days, Nixon reportedly became increasingly unstable. He was heard talking to the portraits of former presidents in the White House halls. When he finally resigned, he was the first and only president to do so, leaving office before the House could vote on his impeachment.
10. G. Gordon Liddy’s “Willpower”
One of the key figures, G. Gordon Liddy, was famous for his terrifying discipline. To prove his worth to the Nixon administration, he would famously hold his hand over a lit candle flame until his flesh burned, just to demonstrate his “willpower” and loyalty.