President Nixon admits previous order to halt inquiry on Watergate 40 years ago today (Aug 5 1974)


Video: 'Nixon: raw watergate tape: 'smoking gun' section'

(Monday, August 5, 1974, 7:05 p.m. EDT; during the Watergate scandal) — In a sharp setback to his fight’ against impeachment, U.S. President Richard Nixon admitted today that six days after the June 17, 1972, Watergate burglary he ordered a halt to the investigation of the break-in for political as well as national security reasons and that he kept the evidence from his lawyers and supporters on the House Judiciary Committee (click here for a clip of Aug. 5, 1974, from ‘The Presidents: Nixon’ at 2:39:40).