In the early 1970s the Watergate scandal paralysed the administration of US Presdient Richard Nixon. The affair centred on a burglary of the darkened office of the Democratic Party in Washington’s Watergate building.
The man who masterminded the infamous Watergate burglary in 1972 has died aged 90, taking many of the scandal’s secrets with him to the grave.
Liddy, who became a radio talk show host after leaving prison for his role in the burglary, died on Tuesday, 30 March, at his daughter’s home in Virginia.
While several of his accomplices spilled the beans to the authorities, Liddy prided himself on his loyalty to President Nixon and his refusal to co-operate with the investigation.
Liddy, a former FBI agent and US Army veteran, was hired to lead a team of burglars nicknamed “the plumbers” who entered the Watergate office of the Democrats in June 1972 in a bid to find out who was leaking information on Nixon to his election opponent, George McGovern.
Ironically there was no need to because Nixon cruised to a landslide victory, with McGovern winning the electoral college votes of only one state.
The press caught wind of the burglary and began digging but the full details of Nixon’s involvement only became clear later due to the investigative journalism of Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, played by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman in the movie All The President’s Men.
Nixon, facing impeachment, eventually resigned in August 1974 and was controversially given a pardon by his successor and former Vice President, Gerald Ford.
Liddy was convicted of conspiracy, burglary and illegal wiretapping and spent four years and four months in prison, including 100 days in solitary confinement.
It emerged during the scandal and his trial that Liddy had recommended even more extreme measures to Nixon, including assassinating political enemies, bombing a left-wing think tank and kidnapping anti-Vietnam war protesters.
Liddy also said Nixon had been “insufficiently ruthless” and should have destroyed the vital tape recordings of his conversations with top aides which eventually led to his downfall.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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