Cover up after break in spontaneous Some of the people who were involved at the break ins didn t want to get caught and convicted Destroyed documents that implicated them When asked they lied about their own involvement Cover up was successful Only had to contain certain bits of information a secret Go to burglars who they hired and told them not to let anything come out before the election Told them to plead guilty and go to jail we will pay expense don t tell anything else John Dean white house lawyer coordinated various aspects of the cover up Dean had to figure out how to cover up different details that kept appearing Dean went to federal prosecutors and struck a deal I know a lot about the cover up I will tell you everything I know including my own involvement in exchange for you will not prosecute me Prosecutors made that deal and John Dean testified to the prosecutors and at the Senate hearings on national television When testimony come out people wanted to know if President knew about the cover up Dean suspected he did because his aids and assistants knew but not sure if he knew Nixon denies that he knew anything about it until 9 months after the break in when Dean told him and immediately he ordered an investigation March 1973 Archibald Cox investigator hired by Nixon on this issue What did the President know and when did he know it Focus on question of impeachment If I was a member of Congress have I heard enough evidence that President should be tried Dozens of witnesses said they weren t involved in the cover up but they said John Dean was involved One last witness called low level white house aide Nixon at one point said that there was a tape recording of a conversation White house aide said that every conversation in oval office was recorded by an automatic recording system Now there are tapes so we have to listen to them Nixon refused to give up the tapes Executive privilege not a law it has been used for many years by courts a president governor needs to have the ability to speak candidly and privately to his aids and assistants Nixon appealed to US Supreme Court that he didn t need to turn over courts Archibald Cox continued to demand for certain tapes and he would not back down Nixon went to attorney general to fire Archibald he refused and resigned Nixon went to deputy attorney general to fire Archibald he refused Nixon fired deputy attorney general Nixon went to next in line and that guy fired Archibald Now 61 yes impeach and 39 no don t impeach After firing Archibald and the others the Saturday night massacre the public were disappointed and thought he had to be hiding something Nixon responded by appointing a new special prosecutor and handing over some of the tapes that Congress had asked for but not all of them White House announced one of the tapes had a gap of 18 minutes Conversation about water gate between him and his chief of staff Either intentionally or purposefully erased 8 times suspicious 9 months after break in John Dean supposedly told Nixon about water gate scandal and cover up John Dean committee to reelect hired burglars paid them with campaign cash lied to investigators burglars had been given lots of money now burglars are threatening and asking for more money Nixon said this was his first knowledge of a cover up on that day Was Nixon shocked and angry and pick up the phone immediately to call the FBI Dean I don t know how much you know but you need to know Cancer within white hosue growing rapidly Nixon What are you talking about Dean The cover up I was involved And aids and assistants Told him details Now Hunt is demanding more money or he will tell lots of damaging detail and put some of us in prison not President Nixon how much money does he want Dean 1 million dollars over next two years Nixon I know where we can get the money Won t be easy but we can do it John Mitchell will handle it Dean Burglars want presidential pardons Both that s a reasonable idea but midterm elections are soon We have to wait Nixon No it would be wrong That s for sure Chief of staff walks in Nixon explains to him the situation Getting the money isn t the problem I think we have no choice on Hunt except to pay him Sounds pretty bad Nixon was exploring options according to his lawyers After this info in our class 64 say to convict and 36 say not to acquit No conviction because you need 67 Up to House of Judiciary Committee to draw up papers Considered 5 articles of impeachment Some democrats voted for all 5 some republicans voted against all 5 Obstructed justice counseling witnesses interfering with official investigation failing to stop illegal activities covering up criminal activities etc