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Once-Secret Watergate Files Unsealed by U.S. Government

Nov. 30, 2012 8:30pm Jason Howerton

VIETNAM WAR-25TH ANNIVERSARY: Picture dated 30 April 1970 of Republican president Richard Nixon announcing during a press conference the entry of American soldiers in Cambodia. Richard Nixon was elected in 1968 and re-elected in 1972 but had to resign in August 1974 after the Watergate scandal. (Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Watergate Judge John J. Sirica aided the prosecution in pursuing the White House connection to the Democratic headquarters break-in by providing the special prosecutor information from a probation report in which one of the burglars said he was acting under orders from top Nixon administration officials, according to once-secret documents released Friday by the National Archives.

One newly public transcript of an in-chambers meeting between Sirica, the U.S. District Court judge in charge of the case, and then-Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox in July 1973 shows the judge revealed secret probation reports indicating that E. Howard Hunt had cited orders from officials high up in the Nixon administration. Several of Hunt’s co-defendants had previously denied any White House involvement in court testimony, and Sirica told Cox and other prosecutors that he felt the new information “seemed to me significant.”

The government released more than 850 pages from the Watergate political scandal, providing new insights on privileged legal conversations and prison evaluations of several of the burglars in the case. A federal judge had decided earlier this month to unseal some material, but other records still remain off limits.

The files do not appear to provide any significant new revelations in the 40-year-old case that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon and criminal prosecutions of many of his top White House and political aides. But the files provide useful context for historians, revealing behind-the-scenes deliberations by Sirica, the U.S. District Court judge in charge of the case, along with prosecutors and defense lawyers.

The documents stem from the prosecution of five defendants arrested during the June 1972 Watergate break-in and two men, Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, who were charged as the burglary team’s supervisors. All seven men were convicted.

In the conversations between Cox and Sirica, the special prosecutor agreed with the judge’s concerns that the probation report should be sealed and thanked him for the information. Cox promised that his team would not divulge the new information unless they felt there was a prosecutorial need and returned for a hearing to make it public. “Unless we came back,” Cox told Sirica, “we wouldn’t reveal it.”

Former Nixon White House lawyer John Dean, who cooperated with prosecutors and testified against Nixon during an explosive congressional hearing in June 1973, said Friday after reviewing some of the newly released files that he believed Sirica “was very aggressive for a judge, even more than the White House was aware of at the time. No one in the Nixon White House knew exactly where he was coming from.” Dean added that while Sirica’s investigative zeal was well-known, his dealings with Cox and other prosecutors were “eye-opening.”

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered the files unsealed earlier this month after a request from Luke Nichter, a professor at Texas A&M University-Central Texas. Nichter wrote Lamberth in 2009 asking for release of the materials. Lamberth held back other sealed materials but agreed to ask the Justice department to explain the reasoning for keeping those materials secret.

The documents released by the Archives also reinforce Sirica’s reputation as a gruff, no-nonsense jurist. During pretrial hearings in December 1972, Hunt’s defense attorney sought to delay the trial after the former CIA man’s wife was killed in a plane crash.

Sirica refused to put the trial on hold unless there was proof Hunt was suffering from a serious medical condition, according to the transcripts. “If he is just emotionally upset, that, in my opinion, is not a valid excuse,” Sirica said. “If he gets tired during the day, I will arrange for him to go down and take a rest for two or three hours if he wishes.”

A doctor who examined Hunt said in a letter to Sirica in early January 1973 that he suffered from ulcers and other gastrointestinal ailments but “has sufficient present ability to consult with his lawyer.” The doctor, Charles E. Law Sr., said he was worried that Hunt would weep in court, especially when questioned by prosecutors.

Reports from prison psychiatrists and probation officers also show that four of Hunt’s co-defendants justified their role in the Watergate break-in on national security grounds, saying they were under orders to search for evidence that Cuban government funds supported Democratic party campaigns. Dean said Friday that Hunt once told him that excuse was a ruse used to persuade the others to participate in the burglary.

Featured image via AFP/Getty

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Comments (37)

vic108
Posted on December 2, 2012 at 8:16am
for the only story that makes sense (to me) concerning Watergate, read SILENT COUP:

http://www.silentcoup.com/

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barber2
Posted on December 1, 2012 at 11:29am
The media was then, as now, totally in the pocket of the Left. They hated Nixon like they hated Bush , Romney and all conservatives. The Left controlled the media back then . The Left controls the media today. That is one of the reasons Obama remains untouched and too empowered. Our Media is now part of the current Executive Branch which clearly upsets the founder’s desire for the balance of power in our government. Sad and dangerous.

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- db321
  Posted on December 1, 2012 at 2:22pm
  Yea, but did anyone die! We have 4 dead in Benghazi and 2 off them were the two bravest men I have ever heard about. I hope for their family they get closure.
  
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- barber2
  Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:03pm
  DB: Watergate was blown way out of proportion by the Left who had targeted Nixon . It was a “second rate burglary .” If Obama had been a Republican, he would be facing impeachment proceedings today. Nothing has changed since the 60s except that the radicals got their law degrees and are now in government because they followed Saul Alinsky’s advice. The Left has even more control of the media.
  
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- Platonician
  Posted on December 1, 2012 at 7:38pm
  “four of Hunt’s co-defendants justified their role in the Watergate break-in on national security grounds, saying they were under orders to search for evidence that Cuban government funds supported Democratic party campaigns”
  
  In fact, Nixon knew the Democratic Party had been infiltrated by communists, he as a patriot just wanted to monitor them, had he succeeded, America would still be the beacon of freedom it used to be rather than the current corrupt socialist police state it’s now.
  
  Report this comment
- rickc34
  Posted on December 1, 2012 at 8:22pm
  Another attempt to distract from Bengazhi by Obama.
  
  Report this comment
- horsefeathers99
  Posted on December 2, 2012 at 3:10am
  In 40 years if you oppose US leadership, you may be persecuted under a possible dictatorship by that time in this country or by then….. the “new world order”.
  
  Report this comment
EqualJustice
Posted on December 1, 2012 at 9:54am
They’ll UNSEAL all the Obama scandal papers in about 50 years, too.

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- barber2
  Posted on December 1, 2012 at 11:29am
  How about his school records ??
  
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Bobby D
Posted on December 1, 2012 at 8:54am
WHERE ARE THE 0bama BENGHAZI FILES AND DOJ’s FAST & FURIOUS FILES, YOU SOCIALISTS PRks?

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- loriann12
  Posted on December 1, 2012 at 9:17am
  We’ll probably have to wait 40 years to see those, too, and no one died in Watergate.
  
  Report this comment
blackfeather
Posted on December 1, 2012 at 7:38am
…”shock factor”…after so many years no one gives a dog rocket anymore….think about that in todays’ environment (the ovomit administration).

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progressiveslayer
Posted on November 30, 2012 at 10:37pm
This is the most corrupt regime in US history yet nothings been done to bring it down,why? I think the main reason is the media wants this regime in power because there’s more than enough dirt to put plenty of regime members in prison for quite some time,including the POS fraud president. Any real journalists still out there willing to do their job and stop worshiping a Marxist POS? Go earn the Nobel peace prize and bring down the Marxist POS. Hopefully when we get our first black president he/she won’t be a racist Marxist POS like we have now.

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Frederick_Douglass_Republican
Posted on November 30, 2012 at 10:30pm
Whats the “Story” of Watergate?
Had Nixon been a democrat the whole story would have never been reported or even pursued in the first place. It would have been wink wink nod nod and never spoken of in public.
Watergate was a democrat victory and nothing more.

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louise
Posted on November 30, 2012 at 10:25pm
Add your comments

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DZ-015
Posted on November 30, 2012 at 10:13pm
Based on this precedent, we’ll be getting the details of the Wadi-gate (Benghazi) affair in 2152. Let’s hope it will not be that long, though.

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- Frederick_Douglass_Republican
  Posted on November 30, 2012 at 10:27pm
  Wrong. Ask around tomorrow to see who knows anything about Benghazi. It is and will remain buried. It is a Democrat crime and it involves death, possibly even allowing the death of Americans including an ambassador for political gain. It will go nowhere. If Oblamer was a republican he would have been impeached before having a chance to be re-elected.
  
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Silversmith
Posted on November 30, 2012 at 9:51pm
The worst of Watergate is nothing compared to the high crimes and misdemeanors of this administration. Why is it still there?

Silversmith

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- lel2007
  Posted on December 1, 2012 at 12:46am
  Nixon & Co. plotted and executed a break in of a democrat campaign office to steal campaign secrets – how quaint. Nixon was forced to resign when caught lying.
  obama & Co. stole an entire election. obama is The Master of Deceit. The Benghazii betrayal is a sneak-peek at what’s yet to come.
  
  Report this comment
eyestoseeearstohear
Posted on November 30, 2012 at 9:48pm
Save our Country from this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vR8xhflWtEE

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FreedomCat
Posted on November 30, 2012 at 9:40pm
The gall of this manchild and his crooked administration. I agree open up Benghazzi and how about Fast & Furious and the backroom deals on Obamacare, and on and on.

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- Exrepublisheep
  Posted on November 30, 2012 at 9:53pm
  O.K. Come back in 40 years.
  
  Report this comment
Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on November 30, 2012 at 9:38pm
Fine, then lets get on with the impeachment and criminal trials of Obama and all involved in Benghazi.

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John 1776
Posted on November 30, 2012 at 9:35pm
Someday, we will be looking back in time at “Obamagate”, the crazy time when an actual communist became president and tried to completely destroy the country from the inside, and everybody let him!

Hopefully, this will be from a safe retrospective position after we somehow pulled the country back from the brink of extinction after some miraculous think woke everybody up, and they all realized what was happening.

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- Frederick_Douglass_Republican
  Posted on November 30, 2012 at 10:35pm
  We will look back at Benghazi, but no one else will. It has already been buried.
  Watergate will go down in history as one of the greatest political crimes in history only because Nixon was a republican.
  Thats the story as I see it. I don’t recall once hearing anyone mention that his party affiliation was the reason he was taken down over such a minor incident. Surely that detail has been spoken of or written about, but I haven’t heard or seen it.
  
  Report this comment
vtxphantom
Posted on November 30, 2012 at 9:32pm
Open the files on Benghazi. Who gave the order not to help the 4 Americans that were murdered? Why did obama abandon those 4?

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- vic138
  Posted on November 30, 2012 at 9:40pm
  Worse yet. Someone had tyrone woods put his laser on a target knowing it would get him killed. Who gave that order? Read Canadafreepress and ulstermanreport for daily updates on this. Huge story that’s being ignored.
  
  Report this comment
pwatkins
Posted on November 30, 2012 at 9:21pm
Who cares about Watergate…it’s over and Nixon is dead. I always thought the Nixon administration should have uncovered more at the democratic headquarters before they got caught. Might have saved us some heartache today. The only harm the US suffered from Watergate was the trial and Nixon resigned to stop that. What is Obama going to do to stop all of the scandals we are going through now….keep lying that’s what!
Remember Benghazi….now that is a scandal to be concerned about and should be of concern to all Americans due to the fact we have 4 dead Americans…two being heroes that are being ignored for their heroism to cover for the dishonesty in the Obama administration.

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eyestoseeearstohear
Posted on November 30, 2012 at 9:10pm
http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/51346
http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/51400

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- Chromo200
  Posted on December 1, 2012 at 1:12am
  thanks .. more newspapers to read.
  
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shagstar
Posted on November 30, 2012 at 9:02pm
how bout BENGHAZI GATE??? c’mon left turds,,let’s hear it.

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DougHuffman
Posted on November 30, 2012 at 8:55pm
No, they are/would be merely distractions from our doom. Nothing should distract US from ridding ourselves of The Jerk Obama. Remember Benghazi, no on is left behind, every body comes home.

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AmericaMustBeFree
Posted on November 30, 2012 at 8:53pm
And what did they find.. Nixon is an angel compared to Obama and should never have been impeached!

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sparkyrules
Posted on November 30, 2012 at 8:51pm
A nice little way of distracting everybody.Watergate is kids play compared to the current Admin.

And every knows it .

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- sparkyrules
  Posted on November 30, 2012 at 9:06pm
  …………………Everyone knows it.
  
  Report this comment
bikerdogred1
Posted on November 30, 2012 at 8:43pm
This is garbage,unseal the Kennedy assassination papers that would be news.

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- Frederick_Douglass_Republican
  Posted on November 30, 2012 at 10:50pm
  Kennedy was such an incompetent he managed to get a small, light, well powered PT boat across the bow of a much larger ship. Since he was a Kennedy boy instead of being demoted in rank and shamed he was called a hero for saving men thrown into the water as a result of his inability. He impregnated his girlfriend and killed her. Massholes never stopped loving him. One Kennedy prematurely blew himself up in an aircraft filled with explosives before he had a chance to parachute out. He’s supposedly a hero. JFK got a PT boat smashed across a much larger ships bow and he’s a hero. His brother was appointed AG and went after the mob after they stole his brothers election in Chicago and got both of them killed I suspect. One Kennedy recently got himself, his wife and his sister in law killed by flying into instrument only conditions without qualification. Teddy boy stayed on the longest to vote against every thing right and for everything wrong and lived a long drunken, slovenly, and degenerate life. Those Kennedy boys. The Massholes just love them.
  
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