The White House Plumbers, a covert unit established within the Nixon administration, were designed to halt information leaks. Their operations, characterized by secrecy and often illegal methods, directly contributed to the unfolding drama of the Watergate scandal. From their initial mission to discredit Daniel Ellsberg to the infamous break-ins at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, the Plumbers' actions illustrate a pattern of escalating
covert activities that ultimately led to the downfall of a presidency. Their story is a crucial chapter in understanding the abuses of power that defined the Watergate era.
Early Covert Actions: The Ellsberg Break-in
The Plumbers' first major operation, occurring on September 3, 1971, targeted Daniel Ellsberg, the individual responsible for leaking the Pentagon Papers. Under the direction of John Ehrlichman or his staff, key Plumbers members, including E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, broke into the offices of Ellsberg's psychiatrist, Lewis Fielding. The primary goal of this clandestine entry was to uncover any material that could be used to discredit Ellsberg, thereby undermining the impact of the leaked documents.
Egil Krogh, who headed the Special Investigation Unit, approved this September 1971 burglary. This decision, made by a man known for his adherence to the law, highlights the pressure and perceived necessity driving the Plumbers' activities. The Ellsberg break-in served as a precursor to later, more widely known events, demonstrating the unit's willingness to engage in illegal acts in pursuit of its objectives. John Ehrlichman, who later served time for Watergate-related crimes, would reflect in his memoirs that Krogh's judgment in this instance "materially contributed to the demise of the Nixon administration."
The Watergate Break-ins: Escalation and Exposure
The Plumbers' activities escalated significantly with the series of break-ins at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters located in the Watergate complex. These operations were not isolated incidents but part of a broader effort to gather intelligence and disrupt political opponents. The first attempts to infiltrate the DNC office and the McGovern campaign headquarters were unsuccessful, with Hunt failing to gain entry and Liddy encountering similar issues.
Subsequent attempts involved a larger team, including Frank Sturgis, Bernard Barker, Virgilio Gonzalez, and others, many of whom were ex-CIA assets. On one occasion, the Plumbers entered the Watergate garage, which James McCord, disguised as a delivery man, had taped open. They successfully installed three bugs and photographed numerous files within the DNC office. A lookout, Alfred Baldwin, was positioned in a nearby Howard Johnson's to monitor and record transmissions. However, the initial intelligence gathered was deemed largely useless, with only one bug functioning correctly.
Despite the initial failures and the limited utility of the gathered information, the Nixon administration pushed for further operations. Liddy convinced a skeptical Hunt to undertake one last operation to fix the DNC bugs and photograph Larry O'Brien's files. On June 16, McCord's door tape was removed by a Watergate security guard. McCord re-taped the garage door, and he and four Cuban operatives re-entered the DNC. This time, the suspicious guard again found the door taped open and called the DC Police, leading to the arrest of five "burglars" in the DNC office. Bernard Barker was found with a letter containing Howard Hunt's name and address, directly linking the Plumbers to the break-in and setting in motion the events that would unravel the Watergate scandal.
