James W. McCord Jr.

Judge Sirica Uses Maximum Sentences to Break Watergate Cover-up, McCord Writes Explosive Letter

| Importance: 9/10

U.S. District Judge John Joseph Sirica, known as “Maximum John” for giving defendants the stiffest sentences guidelines allowed, presided over the trial of the Watergate burglars with deep skepticism about their claims of acting alone. Sirica employed an innovative strategy of …

John Sirica James W. McCord Jr. G. Gordon Liddy John Dean John N. Mitchell watergate obstruction-of-justice judicial-oversight institutional-corruption abuse-of-power
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G. Gordon Liddy and James McCord Convicted in Watergate Burglary Trial, Five Others Plead Guilty

| Importance: 8/10

On January 30, 1973, after a trial before Judge John Sirica, G. Gordon Liddy and James W. McCord Jr. were convicted on charges of conspiracy, burglary, and wiretapping in connection with the June 17, 1972 break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters. Five other defendants—E. Howard Hunt, …

G. Gordon Liddy James W. McCord Jr. Bernard Barker Virgilio Gonzalez Eugenio Martinez +3 more watergate obstruction-of-justice institutional-corruption intelligence-agencies
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Five Burglars Arrested Breaking into Democratic National Committee Headquarters at Watergate Complex

| Importance: 10/10

In the early morning hours of June 17, 1972, Washington D.C. police arrested five men inside the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex. Security guard Frank Wills had discovered tape over door locks and called police, who caught the burglars preparing to install …

James W. McCord Jr. E. Howard Hunt G. Gordon Liddy Bernard Barker Eugenio Martinez +2 more watergate abuse-of-power obstruction-of-justice institutional-corruption intelligence-agencies
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