Then and now

Donald Trump keeps whining about the Mueller investigation, and his supporters keep calling for it to end. We thought it would be useful to compare the Watergate investigation to this one.

It’s using up Trump’s precious time. You don’t drop in a quarter and get out the results of an investigation. Investigations of Nixon and Watergate began with a probe by the House Banking Committee in 1972. Republicans shut it down, but it laid groundwork that paid off later. Sen. Edward Kennedy launched another 1972 investigation through a Judiciary subcommittee and turned its evidence over to the full committee. In October, Senate Democratic leader Mike Mansfield said there would be a full-fledged Senate investigation, which was set up in February 1973 as the Senate Watergate Committee. In May, Attorney General Elliott Richardson appointed a special prosecutor. In October, the House Judiciary Committee began an impeachment investigation. That’s five investigations. Trump has put up with just one. (Congressional Republicans have refused to investigate.)

It’s taking too long. The Watergate burglary was in June 1972. The case was not resolved until August 1974 when Nixon resigned.

Mueller was only supposed to investigate Russia collusion. Jeanine Pirro: “Mueller is there to show collusion between Russia and Trump, and there’s none so far, so why not end it?” All investigations turn up information that leads them out of the original concern, and it is simply not true that Mueller was appointed only to investigate the Russia matter. The various Watergate investigations led to all kinds of what were called White House horrors—a private White House burglary team, Nixon campaign spying and sabotage, fund-raising conduct that ensnared cabinet members, use of public funds on Nixon’s private residences, on and on. The scandal even brought down some of the investigators—two members of the Senate Watergate Committee were implicated in alleged wrongdoing. Mueller was not appointed just to examine Russia matters but also “any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation.” His charter also allows him to seek additional authority under 28 C.F.R. § 600.4(a), if he finds other things that need investigating. It’s what Ken Starr did when he wanted to expand his probe to include the Monica Lewinsky matter.

Something to hide? Even the Nixon administration and campaign knew the wisdom of at least looking like they were cooperating with investigations. In fact, Nixon’s campaign manager fired counsel Gordon Liddy for refusing to cooperate with the FBI—just what Trump does regularly. He constantly acts like he has something to hide. Otherwise, why does he keep threatening to shut the probe down—as Nixon tried to do?

Witch hunt? Trump-supporting Republicans regularly use this term. So did House GOP leader Gerald Ford about Patman’s investigation, calling it a “political witch hunt.” Nixon staffer and former Washington Post reporter Ken Clawson called the House Judiciary Committee’s impeachment investigation a “witch hunt.”

Nixon was guilty. And Mueller has achieved six convictions so far.