While President Richard M. Nixon was campaigning for reelection, burglars broke into the Watergate office and apartment complex. There were alleged ties between these burglars and the President's reelection committee. Many conversations were taped in the White House Oval office and when Leon Jaworski attempted to subpoena the tapes, the President refused to hand them over to the court. Nixon felt that he didn't have to surrender the tapes because he had executive power.
The main question was: Can the president claim executive privileges to avoid surrendering material to the federal court? The court unanimously voted that the President must hand over the tapes. This is obviously the correct decision. This case is proof that our system of checks and balances are working. It is nice to see that once a president's action has been questioned it is then tried in court for its constitutionality. Without this system our country would be run by corrupt leaders.
The 18 minutes of tape that was erased was originally thought gone for good but historians today are trying to recover the missing information with new technology. This video discusses the various methods being used.
This court case is significant today because it ensures that our constitution and system of checks and balances are working. Nixon resigned before actually being impeached. This case acts as a reminder to present and future presidents, that their executive power does not give them the privilege to act unconstitutionally.
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