On February 21, 1975, former Attorney General John N. Mitchell and former White House aides H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman were sentenced to 2.5 to 8 years in prison for their roles in the Watergate cover-up. All three men had been convicted of every count against them—a total of 14 felonies …
H.R. HaldemanJohn EhrlichmanJohn N. MitchellJohn Siricawatergateobstruction-of-justiceaccountabilityinstitutional-corruptionabuse-of-power
On June 21, 1974, Charles Wendell “Chuck” Colson—Nixon’s Special Counsel and the official known as the President’s “hatchet man”—pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in connection with attempts to discredit Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. Colson …
Chuck ColsonDaniel EllsbergE. Howard HuntJohn Ehrlichmanwatergateobstruction-of-justicewhistleblower-retaliationplea-bargainaccountability-failure
President Richard Nixon signed the Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973 into law on December 29, 1973, following Senate sponsorship by Edward Kennedy. The Act provided grants and loans to start or expand Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), removed certain state restrictions for federally …
Richard NixonJohn EhrlichmanEdward KennedyEdgar Kaiserhealthcare-profiteeringinstitutional-capturecorporate-profitprivatization
On June 25, 1973, recently fired White House Counsel John Dean began week-long testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, starting with a 245-page opening statement that took six hours to read. Dean testified that he had told President Nixon: “I began by …
John DeanRichard NixonH.R. HaldemanJohn EhrlichmanHoward Baker+1 morewatergatecongressional-oversightobstruction-of-justiceabuse-of-powerinstitutional-corruption
In September 1971, the White House Special Investigations Unit—mockingly known as the “Plumbers” because their mission was to stop leaks—broke into the Los Angeles office of Dr. Lewis Fielding, psychiatrist to Daniel Ellsberg, who had leaked the Pentagon Papers exposing government lies …
E. Howard HuntG. Gordon LiddyChuck ColsonJohn EhrlichmanEgil Krogh+2 morewatergateabuse-of-powerintelligence-agenciesinstitutional-corruptionwhistleblower-retaliation
At a press conference on June 17, 1971, President Richard Nixon declared drug abuse “public enemy number one,” launching what became known as the War on Drugs. This announcement marked the beginning of a dramatic expansion of federal drug control policy and law enforcement that would …
Richard NixonJohn Ehrlichmanmass-incarcerationinstitutional-racismwar-on-drugspolicing