The summer of 1973 was dominated by the Senate Watergate hearings.
In February 1973, just weeks after Nixon was sworn in for his second term, the Senate voted to establish a committee to investigate Watergate.
The Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities was established by Senate Resolution 60. It consisted of seven members, four Democrats and three Republicans. It was chaired by Senator Sam Ervin, Democrat, of North Carolina.
The other Democrats on the Committee were Daniel Inouye (Hawaii), Joseph Montoya (New Mexico) and Herman Talmadge (Georgia). The Republican members were Howard Baker (Tennessee), Edward Gurney (Florida) and Lowell Weicker (Connecticut).
With Weicker’s death on June 28, 2023, at age 92, all members of the Senate Watergate Committee are now deceased.
The committee’s Chief Counsel was Sam Dash. The Minority Counsel was the future Republican senator Fred Thompson.
The committee began public hearings on May 17, 1973. Its official report was issued on June 27, 1974.
The video shown above was originally shown on PBS in 1983.
Watergate Investigation – Archived Posts
- April 30, 1973: Nixon’s First Watergate Speech
- August 15, 1973: Nixon’s Second Watergate Speech
- April 29, 1974: Nixon’s Third Watergate Speech