In 1972 five burglars were caught breaking into the Democratic National Committee Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, government investigation of the break in revealed that the burglars were associated with the campaign to re-elect Nixon. The inquiries also revealed that the president and his aides had probably abused their power.
During the congressional hearings on the break in scandal, it was revealed that President Nixon had installed a tape recording device in the Oval Office. The special prosecutor in charge of the case wanted to get tapes of the Oval Office discussions to help prove that President Nixon and his aides had abused their power and broken the law. President Nixon tried to stop the special prosecutor from obtaining the tapes and even had him fired. However,a new special prosecutor, supported by the ruling of a federal district court judge, again requested the tapes. The president then gave the tapes but they were edited tapes were shorter versions then the original tapes. The court ordered the president to respond to all of the special prosecutor’s requests. When the president appealed this decision to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the special prosecutor asked the Supreme Court of the United States to hear the case.
In front of the Supreme Court of the United States, President Nixon’s lawyers argued that the case couldn’t be heard in the courts because it involved a dispute within the executive branch. In case the Supreme Court disagreed, Nixon’s lawyers also argued that the president’s executive privilege should protect the tapes. The concept of executive privilege, though not specifically detailed in the U.S. Constitution, is based on the constitutional separation of powers. It provides a certain level of confidentiality of communication between the president and his aides, especially where defense and national security are concerned. President Nixon’s lawyers argued for an absolute executive privilege based only on his discretion.Nixon was guilty he turned in the original tapes
For Nixon
I am for Nixon because I think that the law was to hard on him.If he didn’t want to show the tapes he didn’t have to,because he had the right to remain slight. He had the right to keep the tapes he was the president. When they took the videos that was invasion of personal property because he had put the camera in the oval office so it was his tapes
Against Nixon
I am against Nixon because Nixon was the President but he didn’t have the right to keep the tapes .Nixon was a crock a lire ! He was the one that new what had happen in the burglars. He had evidential tapes why he won the election! When the Supreme court asked Nixon for the tapes he refused to give in the tape.Nixon later gave in the tapes but gave in tapes that were edit. Then the Supreme Court asked Nixon to turn in the unedited tapes so he did .When he turn in the tapes then after he was no longer the president of the United States.
