United States v. Nixon (1974) The early 1970s was a time of
growing distrust in the National Government. The Pentagon Papers
exposed the intentional deception of the American people about
Vietnam. Americans were shocked when the National Guard opened
fire at a Kent State University protest following President
Nixon's authorization for the United States to attack Cambodia.
Four students were killed. Nixon would soon add more fuel to the
fire, attempting to cover up illegal actions by himself and his
administration. In June 1972, five men armed with cameras and
bugging equipment were arrested inside the Democratic National
Committee's offices in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C.
Police soon discovered that the burglars worked, directly or
indirectly, for the Committee to Re-Elect the President.
President Nixon and leaders of his campaign denied any
connection with the incident. The five men were convicted of
burglary, along with E. Howard Hunt, Jr., a former Nixon aide,
and G. Gordon Liddy, a lawyer for