Nixon tapes released on 40th anniversary of resignation
Los Angeles - The first unedited interviews with US president Richard Nixon reflecting on his last days in office were published Tuesday by the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum to commemorate the 40th anniversary of his resignation.
The series of recordings, titled A President Resigns, is drawn from unedited and largely unseen footage taken in 1983 of the president talking with former aide Frank Gannon about his resignation and describing his last days in the White House.
The series begins with Nixon recalling weighing his options before he came to the decision to resign on August 5, 1974 and ends with him reflecting on his last day in office August 9.
One new video per day is being published on YouTube through Saturday.
Richard Nixon resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal, as he face dimpeachment by Congress over his efforts to cover up his role in it.
The Watergate scandal unravelled after the June 17, 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, DC.
An investigation by the Washington Post revealed that the break-in, as well as a long list of other political dirty tricks, was directed from the heart of the White House.
They were part of Nixon's determined efforts to ensure his re-election in 1972.
The scandal eroded public confidence in the US federal government and spawned greater scrutiny by the national media of national leaders and their possible abuse of power.