Watergate Scandal

Introduction

  On June 17, 1972,  five men carrying wiretapping equipment were arrested breaking into the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters located in the Watergate Complex in Washington D.C.

5 intruders were caught breaking into the Watergate Hotel. Upon being caught, these men were quickly linked to a close advisor of President Nixon. When the FBI went to investigate the break in, the President ordered the CIA to block the FBI’s investigation. Eventually Washington Post reporters uncovered that the Republican Party funded the break in. Soon members of Nixon’s administration were linked to the break in. These members of Nixon’s administration soon began to confess to large-scale corruption within the White House, under the instruction of President Nixon.

Task

Read the arguemnts on the Process page and respond to the prompt: Should Gerald Ford have pardoned Richard Nixon?

The document below argues both sides, one side saying Nixon should have been prosecuted and one saying Nixon should not have been prosecuted. 

Once you have read the reading, answer the question in 3 paragraphs, which will be collected and graded

Process

The Watergate Scandal: Should Richard Nixon be prosecuted?

 

ARGUMENTS AGAINST PROSECUTION             

  1. His resignation is sufficient punishment—he is the first and only president who has resigned from office
  2. He has been subject to an impeachment inquiry with resulting articles of impeachment, which the House Judiciary Committee unanimously endorsed as to Article I (the Watergate cover-up).
  3. His prosecution might further divide the country. The nation has already been split by the Vietnam war, and this would cause Republicans and Democrats to be further divided as well.
  4. The Watergate scandal has already damaged the presidency and the nation, and it now time to put it behind us. It is time for conciliation not recrimination
  5. It would difficult for Nixon to get a fair trial because of the publicity surrounding the Watergate scandal.

 ARGUMENTS FOR PROSECUTION

  1. The principle of equal justice under law requires that every person, no matter what his past position or office, answer to the criminal justice system for his past offenses.
  2. The country will be further divided by Mr. Nixon unless there is a final disposition of charges of criminality outstanding against him. Democrats will say it’s unfair.
  3. The constitution says that a person removed from office because of abuse of his public trust still would have to answer to the criminal justice system for criminal offenses.
  4. It cannot be sufficient punishment for criminal offenses merely to surrender the public office which has been abused. A person should not be permitted to trade in the abused office in return for immunity.
  5.  The President’s trial would be in the Senate, and 2/3 of them would have to vote guilty for a conviction (67 out of 100 senators would have to vote guilty)

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