US EditionAlexander Butterfield, the Nixon aide who disclosed Watergate tapes, dies at 99
Butterfield’s 1973 disclosure of Nixon’s secret recording system led to a Supreme Court case and Nixon’s resignation, with thousands of tapes now held by the National Archives.
- Alexander Butterfield, the White House aide who disclosed the president's taping system, has died, confirmed to The Associated Press by his wife Kim and John Dean.
- Senate staffers privately questioned Butterfield on July 13, 1973, after John Dean's testimony, leading to his public disclosure on July 16, 1973.
- Butterfield oversaw voice-activated devices that recorded conversations in four locations, including the Executive Office Building and Camp David, with thousands of hours now held by the National Archives.
- Facing impeachment pressure, Nixon resigned on Aug. 9, 1974, less than a month after the Supreme Court of the United States ordered him to surrender the tapes, ending a yearlong legal battle.
- Reflecting on the tapes' legacy, Butterfield later said he felt partly responsible for Nixon's fate and criticized Nixon as 'not an honest man' and 'a crook', noting only H.R. Haldeman, a Haldeman assistant, and Secret Service agents knew about the taping system, which is now held by the National Archives.
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54 Articles
These recordings, which he revealed during an appearance in the Senate, gave a twist to the investigation, proving the Republican's direct involvement. More information: From America's A to Watergate's W: Dictionary of the U.S.'s Greatest Political Scandal
Alexander Butterfield, the Nixon aide who disclosed Watergate tapes, has died - The Boston Globe
Butterfield oversaw the taping system connected to voice-activated listening devices that had been secretly placed in four locations, including Nixon’s office in the Executive Office Building.
Montana Standard
Alexander Butterfield, Nixon aide who disclosed Watergate tapes, dies at 99
WASHINGTON — Alexander Butterfield, the White House aide who inadvertently hastened Richard Nixon's resignation over the Watergate scandal when he revealed that the president had bugged the Oval Office and Cabinet Room and routinely recorded his conversations, has died. He…
Associated Press News
Alexander Butterfield, the Nixon aide who disclosed Watergate tapes, dies at 99
The White House aide who revealed that Richard Nixon had secretly recorded his conversations as president has died. Alexander Butterfield was 99.
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