John Mitchell
John Newton Mitchell was a prominent American lawyer and politician, best known for his role in the Watergate scandal during Richard Nixon's presidency. Born in Detroit in 1913, Mitchell moved to New York City as a child and later graduated from St. John University Law School. His political career gained momentum when he became close to Nixon, helping manage Nixon's successful 1968 presidential campaign and serving as attorney general upon Nixon's election. In this position, Mitchell pursued a conservative agenda, advocating for wiretapping in organized crime cases and opposing certain judicial decisions.
However, Mitchell's legacy is largely overshadowed by his involvement in the Watergate affair, where he approved the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and later tried to cover it up. After a series of investigations unveiled the scandal, he was convicted of conspiracy, perjury, and obstruction of justice, serving a prison sentence before being disbarred. Mitchell passed away in 1988 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His actions during Watergate had lasting implications for American politics, contributing to a significant erosion of public trust in government.
John Mitchell
- Born: September 15, 1913
- Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan
- Died: November 9, 1988
- Place of death: Washington, DC
US attorney general (1969–72) and Watergate conspirator
Major offenses: Conspiracy, perjury, and obstruction of justice
Active: 1972–73
Locale: Washington, DC
Sentence: Two and a half to eight years in prison; served nineteen months
Early Life
John Newton Mitchell was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1913, and then moved with his family to the New York City area when he was about five years old. Mitchell attended Fordham University in New York City and graduated from St. John University Law School. While attending law school, Mitchell began working in the prestigious firm of Caldwell and Raymond, where he eventually became a partner. Mitchell served as a naval officer during World War II and earned a Silver Star. He was married twice. His second wife, Martha, became known as an outspoken—some say a notorious—figure in Washington while Mitchell served as attorney general.
Political Career
Mitchell’s involvement in national politics began after he met Richard Nixon. Mitchell had specialized in the arcane and lucrative field of municipal bonds and represented the bond sellers. Nixon, who moved to New York after a humiliating loss in the 1962 California gubernatorial election, joined a firm that represented underwriters of such bonds. The two firms eventually merged, to become Nixon, Mudge, Rose, Guthrie, Alexander, and Mitchell.
Mitchell was instrumental in encouraging Nixon to seek the presidency in 1968 and served in Nixon’s campaign during that hotly contested race. Mitchell’s effective and astute management of the campaign was seen by many as a major reason for Nixon’s victory. Part of Nixon’s strategy in the 1968 campaign was to run on a “law and order” platform, which was critical of the “judicial activism” of the Warren Supreme Court and which also appealed to conservative White, southern voters, who had traditionally voted Democratic. This approach became known as Nixon’s “southern strategy.”
Mitchell served as a close adviser of the president, particularly during the early period of Nixon’s first term as president. Mitchell’s influence was felt even before Nixon took office; for instance, he was an advocate of Spiro T. Agnew, then governor of Maryland, for the vice presidential spot on the ticket. Agnew resigned in disgrace from that office during Nixon’s second term. Mitchell was also part of the Nixon “transition team.” He was appointed attorney general in 1969.
As attorney general, Mitchell also pursued a conservative agenda. He supported more extensive use of wiretapping (particularly in cases involving organized crime and national security), publicly opposed the Warren Court’s decision in Miranda v. Arizona (which established guidelines for custodial interrogations by police), and, at one point, actively pursued federal prosecution of the radical Black Panthers organization. Moreover, during Mitchell’s tenure, the Department of Justice filed an amicus curiae brief before the United States Supreme Court opposing the busing of children in order to enhance integration.
The Watergate Affair
Mitchell’s greatest notoriety came about because of his involvement in the Watergate Affair. On Memorial Day, 1972, a group of burglars broke into the Democratic Headquarters located in the Watergate complex in Washington, DC. At first, the event was widely viewed as merely a second-rate burglary, one that was bungled by amateurs. This view continued during the 1972 campaign, which Nixon easily won (carrying forty-nine of fifty states against Democratic contender George McGovern).
Unfortunately for the president and his associates, the Watergate cover-up soon began to unravel. Investigators discovered that Mitchell, in his role as campaign manager in the 1972 election, had approved of the initial break-in and that the initial discussion of the affair took place in his office. Not only did he support the decision to enact a burglary, but Mitchell also authorized the money to fund it. (Mitchell resigned not long after as attorney general in order to concentrate on the 1972 campaign). After the burglars were caught, Mitchell also ensured that they received cash payments both to help in their defense and to keep them quiet. Mitchell also worked with others in the Committee to Re-elect the President (CRP) and in the White House to conceal his complicity (as well as that of many associates) in the burglary and the subsequent cover-up attempt.
Legal Action and Outcome
In part because of the intrepid reporting of two young Washington Post reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the American public and legal authorities learned details of the Watergate scandal, and legal proceedings began against those involved. Because of the rulings of federal judge John Sirica and the testimony before a Senate committee by John Dean (at one time a Mitchell protégé), the attempt to keep the lid on this crime imploded.
Mitchell was eventually charged with and found guilty of conspiracy, perjury, and obstruction of justice, for which he received a sentence of two and a half to eight years’ imprisonment. He served nineteen months of that sentence and, after being released, was disbarred. He lived quietly in Washington until his death. Unlike many of the other actors in the Watergate conspiracy, Mitchell never wrote his memoirs or gave interviews about his activities, nor did he ever publicly criticize President Nixon. He died of a heart attack in 1988 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Impact
Watergate was the most notorious of the numerous “dirty tricks” played by the Nixon campaign under John Mitchell’s direction. The impact of the scandal on the nation’s politics was significant. Richard Nixon resigned during his second term in order to avoid impeachment, the only president to resign under such a cloud. Watergate also led to the creation of the office of special prosecutor, an office that would prove to have a checkered career in American politics. The episode also contributed to an increased cynicism on the part of the American people about politics, which continued to be felt decades later.
Bibliography
Bernstein, Carl, and Bob Woodward. All the President’s Men. 1974. 2d ed. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994. The account by the authors of how they were able to penetrate the Watergate cover-up.
Elliff, John T. Crime,Dissent, and the Attorney General: The Justice Department in 1960’s. Beverly Hills, Calif.: Sage, 1971. An overview of Mitchell’s “law and order” policies as attorney general.
"John N. Mitchell Dies at 75; Major Figure in Watergate." The New York Times, 10 Nov. 1988, www.nytimes.com/1988/11/10/obituaries/john-n-mitchell-dies-at-75-major-figure-in-watergate.html. Accessed 21 Nov. 2023.
Nixon, Richard. RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon. 1975. Reprint. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990. Provides the president’s view of his administration, including his interpretation of Watergate.
White, Theodore. Breach of Faith: The Fall of Richard Nixon. New York: Atheneum, 1975. A famous journalist’s perspective on Watergate.