On August 8, 1974, Richard Nixon Resignation His presidency is unique in American history in that Watergate scandal is widely recognized as the product of journalistic impulse, but few realize that the sensational reporting was not only partisan, but fraudulent.
After the five robbers were arrested on the morning of June 17, 1972, The Washington Post quickly discovered the true target of the robbery, which, contrary to what the Paper had claimed for over 50 years, had nothing to do with the 1972 election.
Fifty years after President Nixon left office, it is clear that the division in the country is a bitter result of the Watergate fraud scandal.
The Washington Post had consistently concealed the twin causes of the robberies, knowing the likely CIA involvement in a scheme to spy on prostitutes and their clients, and Nixon’s young aides, using the deep pockets of the Committee to Re-Elect President and without the oversight of an unsuspecting Oval Office, were searching for dirt to include in their ambitious investigative reports.
But if the Post had reported the truth, it would have dealt a blow to its political ally, the Democratic National Committee, whose secretary was one of the out-of-town visitors. Nearby brothelsMaking this public would have dealt a blow to the Democrats and helped the hated Nixon.
That morning, as the robber was preparing to go to court, Metropolitan police officers Gary BittenbenderI talked to a friend. James McCordCRP’s director of security and a former (possibly undercover) CIA agent. McCord told Bittenbender that this was a CIA operation, and later recounted this to Bittenbender in a lengthy interview in McCord’s cell. McCord later realized that the CIA would not admit to any involvement, and has since denied having acknowledged such a thing.
No one knew about the robbery except McCord and his secret contractor. Lou Russellwas lurking in the building, presumably to enter the Watergate later and organize the stolen items before handing them over to a CRP aide. His presence explains why McCord kept tape on the locks even after all the intruders were inside, even though tape wasn’t needed at the time of the break-in. The Post quickly learned of Russell’s presence but did not report on his strange involvement.
Burglary Watch Howard Hunt That fall, Hunt was preparing what his lawyers called a “CIA defense”: he would argue that this was a CIA operation, that it was domestically legal because a presidential advisor had approved it. His CIA diary recorded this approval, and he claimed that White House Counsel John Dean and, allegedly, former Attorney General John Mitchell had also approved it. The diary thus became key to Hunt’s defense of the CIA.
As the January 1973 trial approached and the prosecution was frantically preparing to mount a counter-attack against Hunt’s CIA defense, two unfortunate events thwarted their plans. First, his diary, which he had kept in a White House safe, was missing from the evidence the prosecution had turned over to him. Later, John Dean is And destroyed them.
Hunt’s wife, Dorothy, whom he loved dearly and who he hoped would avoid prison, was also an undercover CIA agent and was a possible witness for the defense. But as the trial drew near, Dorothy Hunt passes away Hunt was involved in a plane crash over Chicago’s Midway Airport in December 1972 with $10,000 in cash, most of which was destined for a bug supplier under the false name of Michael Stevens. Hunt eventually pleaded guilty at Dean’s urging.
In May 1973, a drunk Lou Russell told a friend that he was writing an exposé of the Watergate burglary. Michael Stevens was receiving death threats. Stevens had sold McCord the wiretap used in the burglary and was still ordering another wiretap to link to a CIA satellite. McCord told Stevens that the wiretap was for a CIA operation, which Stevens confirmed to the CIA. Fearing for his life due to the death threats, Stevens sought refuge with the FBI. An unnamed FBI official (presumably Mark Felt) reported the situation to Chicago Today, which ran sensationalist articles on May 12 and 14, 1973, but was ignored by The Washington Post.
On the night of May 16-17, 1973, “Deep Throat” Mark Felt, now known as the FBI’s number two, met with reporter Bob Woodward. Felt was upset and told Woodward, “Everybody’s life is in danger!” He cited the CIA’s concern that if the CIA’s involvement in Watergate were revealed, it would expose the agency’s broader programs, with serious consequences.
The day after this crazy scene, Russell suffered a massive heart attack and died soon after, claiming that someone had put poison in his heart medication. The CIA had long maintained thatAspirin Roulette” Eliminate the target.
Two months later, Republican National Committee Chairman George H. W. Bush announced, through Russell’s longtime associate John Leon, that he would hold a press conference to reveal the CIA’s long history of domestic wiretapping. Shortly before the conference was scheduled to begin, Leon died of a sudden heart attack, causing Bush to cancel the press conference.
The belated release of the CIA documents to the Senate, long after the hearings had concluded, shocked Sen. Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) into sharp criticism. 49 page report A report on the CIA’s involvement in the Watergate scandal noted that a CIA contractor went to McCord’s home shortly after the robbery and burned documents showing McCord’s ties to the CIA. Another robber, Eugenio Maritones, was a paid CIA employee at the time.
When Trump was elected, the dean of one prominent journalism school confidently told his students, “Don’t worry, we’ll break Watergate.”
A Washington Post summary and analysis of the Baker Report, buried in the Congressional Record in the pre-internet era, misleadingly concealed its findings, essentially stating that there was “nothing to see.” Nixon resigned shortly afterward as the White House tapes exposed his iniquities.
John Dean reported to the White House shortly after the robbery that Mark Felt’s analysis indicated that the robbery was likely a CIA operation. To protect the identities of his major donors, businessmen and Democrats, Dean Dwayne AndreasNixon ordered the FBI to stop tracking Mexican money because it was interfering with CIA operations. Nixon thought this was a misleading overreach, but it turned out to be true. The man laundering the money was Mexico City lawyer Manuel Ogario, who worked for the CIA and frequently laundered money for the agency.
With Nixon’s resignation, The Washington Post learned not only that journalism has the power to make or break a presidency, but that it can do so corruptly.
It’s been 50 years since The Washington Post dishonestly sold its integrity, and its journalism has never been criticized by the mediocrity of partisan news organizations. This dishonest reporting has only grown over the past 50 years. When Trump was elected, for example, the dean of a prestigious journalism school confidently told his students, “Don’t worry, we’re going to break Watergate.” And in 2016, Bob Woodward boasted to enthusiastic critics that he would assign 20 Washington Post reporters to cover Trump.
When the journalistic intelligentsia puzzles over the origins of today’s tribal divisions, they are answering their own question. In asking the question, they ignore the contribution they make to it through the sensational and deceptive journalism that Donald Trump crudely but accurately calls “fake news,” and to which millions agree.
Fifty years after President Nixon left office, it’s clear that the divisions in this country are the bitter result of the Watergate scandal, and the only way to resolve them is for the perpetrators to admit their wrongdoing.
But you shouldn’t hold your breath.
