What made Watergate so severe, yet interesting, was that it involved more top-level government officials than any prior scandal. The scandal led to the conviction of former Attorney General John Mitchell and two of Nixon's top aides, John Erlichmen and H.R. Hasdeman, in 1975. Former Secretary of Commerce Maurice H. Stans, the leader of Nixon's reelection campaign pled guilty to criminal charges and was fined $5000. Watergate also resulted in the resignation of

The Special Investigations Unit, better known as the "plumbers unit," was created as a result of the Pentagon Papers being leaked to the New York Times in June of 1971. The Pentagon Papers were secret defense department documents on the American involvement in the Vietnam War. Dr. Daniel Ellsberg, who worked as a staff member under the National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger, leaked the Papers to the New York Times. These Papers also revealed a pattern of government deception related to the Vietnam War. In response the Nixon administration responded by stopping the publication of the paper and charging Ellsberg with espionage.

On March 1, 1974, seven former aides of the president - Haldeman, Erlichman, Mitchell, Colson, Strachan, Robert Mardian, and Kenneth Parkinson - were indicted for conspiring to botch the Watergate investigation. Colson later pled guilty to charges concerning the Ellsberg case and was dismissed of the cover-up charges. Charges against Strachan were dropped. The remaining five went on trial and all but Parkinson were found guilty.

In March and April Nixon met with top aides to plan responses to the Gray announcements and to prepare for investigations. Howard Hunt issued a threat to tell about the plumbers' activities unless he received hush money. In fear of that threat he was given $75,000 that night.

President Nixon ordered domestic policy advisor, John Erlichman, to streamline leak plugging by creating the "plumbers unit." The plumbers were to block news leaks and control public knowledge of Vietnam policy. Erlichman's deputy, Egil Krogh, Jr. and David Young, a member of the National Security Council staff, hired former FBI agent G. Gordon Liddy and former CIA operative E. Howard Hunt to run their illegal secret operation.

Eighteen corporations and twenty-one corporate executives admitted to making illegal contributions for the 1972 campaign. Kalmbach acknowledged raising and distributing large sums of money that were later used for illegal purposes. He promised an ambassador a better assignment in return for a $100,000 contribution. The Internal Telephone and Telegraph Corporation made a $400,000 campaign contribution in return for a settlement of an antitrust suit. Maurice Stans later pled guilty to charges relating to illegal handling of campaign funds.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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