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What Happened to John Mitchell After Watergate Scandal? John Mitchell, Nixon’s attorney general, was involved in the infamous Watergate scandal that occurred in the 1970s.
The Watergate scandal was a series of interconnected political crises that occurred during the presidency of Richard M. Nixon in the United States.
On June 17, 1972, a break-in occurred at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters in Washington, D.C.’s Watergate complex.
Four of the five burglars identified during the DNC break-in were former CIA agents. The fifth was James W. McCord, Jr., the Committee to Re-elect the President’s security chief.
The subsequent cover-up by those working for or with the White House, as well as Nixon himself, sparked the controversy of the Watergate Scandal.
What Happened to John Mitchell After Watergate Scandal?
John Mitchell is known as the only U.S. Attorney General to serve a prison sentence following his involvement in the Watergate scandal.
After the Watergate scandal, Mitchell faced three days of testimony on television. He got away with it, revealing very little information about the incident.
Some of the former White House aides and Nixon administration officials chose to plead with the Watergate special prosecutor to avoid facing trial after being indicted.
On the other hand, Mitchell was indicted, tried, and convicted in the Watergate cover-up trial, along with three other defendants.
He served 19 months in the Federal Prison and was later released as his health deteriorated.
Martha Mitchell, wife of the Attorney General
Martha Mitchell, the wife of Attorney General John, was the first whistleblower concerning the Watergate scandal.
However, she was silenced, and the information she revealed was discredited.
Being the wife of the Attorney General of the ruling President, Martha was well-informed about most of the political affairs.
She had friends who worked as reporters and celebrity connections, who would often call her to get updates on the political gossip.
After hearing the news of the Watergate scandal, Martha demanded an explanation from her husband, as one of the convicts arrested was her former bodyguard.
When her husband refused to give her any sort of explanation, Martha called up her reporter friend Helen Thomas. As Martha was about to reveal the truth of the dirty politics, the person in charge of keeping an eye on her, Steve King, ripped the telephone connection.
In various interviews, she has said that she was also tranquilized and restrained in her hotel bed for four days.
President Nixon Attorney General: Cause of Death
On November 9, 1988, John Mitchell passed away at 75, suffering a heart attack.
While serving his time at the federal prison, Mitchell was released due to his failing health.
After his release from prison, he lived quietly in Georgetown, working as a consultant and appearing in restaurants only occasionally.
He would often refuse to give any interviews.
