Butterfield's Bombshell: Nixon's Secret Tapes

0:00Today is March 9th. Here's what's making headlines worldwide. Alexander Butterfield, the former White House aide who exposed Richard Nixon's secret taping system during the Watergate scandal, has died at age. 99. He passed away at his home in the La Jolla area of San Diego just one month short of his 100th birthday. No cause of death was given. Butterfield grew up in California after being born in Pensacola, Florida. He flew combat missions as an Air Force pilot in Vietnam, then joined Nixon's team as deputy to Chief of Staff HR Haldemann, an old college friend. One of his jobs was setting up the voice activated recordings in the Oval Office, Cabinet Room, and key phones to preserve history. By 1973, when Watergate probes intensified, Butterfield headed the Federal Aviation Administration. Testifying before a Senate committee, he confirmed the tapes existed, dropping a bombshell that stunned the country and investigators alike. The revelation led to key recording surfacing, including the smoking

1:02gun tape from six days after the break-in. It showed Nixon approving a cover-up, eroding his support. The Supreme Court ordered the tapes released, and he resigned on August 9th, 1974, to avoid impeachment. Butterfield faced backlash from Nixon loyalists, but was never charged. Later, he shared documents with reporter Bob Woodward for a book-painting the administration as deeply troubled, and he advised on Oliver Stone's. 1995 film Nixon. DNN is sponsored by our partner, some chase piece.