White House Plumbers facts for kids
The White House Plumbers, sometimes called just the Plumbers, was a secret group that worked for the White House. This team was started on July 24, 1971, when Richard Nixon was the President of the United States. Their main job was to find out who was sharing secret government information, like the Pentagon Papers, with news reporters.
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What Were the White House Plumbers?
The White House Plumbers were a special, secret team. They were led by a person named G. Gordon Liddy. Their name, "Plumbers," came from their job: they were supposed to "stop leaks" of information, just like a plumber stops water leaks.
Why Were They Formed?
President Richard Nixon's team was worried that important government secrets were being shared with the public through newspapers and TV. They wanted to find out who was doing this. So, they created the Plumbers to investigate and stop these "leaks" of information.
What Did They Do?
The Plumbers were given the task of finding people who were sharing secret government documents. They were supposed to protect sensitive information. However, they started using methods that were against the rules and even illegal.
The Pentagon Papers
One of the main reasons the Plumbers were formed was because of something called the Pentagon Papers. These were secret government documents about the Vietnam War. They showed how the United States had been involved in the war for many years. When these papers were shared with the public, it caused a big stir. The Plumbers were created to stop similar leaks from happening again.
The Watergate Break-in
The White House Plumbers became very well-known because of their involvement in the Watergate break-in. This happened when members of the Plumbers group broke into the headquarters of the Democratic Party, which was located in the Watergate building. This event led to a much larger scandal that affected the presidency of Richard Nixon.
Important Dates
- July 24, 1971: The White House Plumbers group was officially started.
Who Was Richard Nixon?
Richard Nixon was the 37th President of the United States. He served as president from 1969 to 1974. During his time as president, many important events happened, including the end of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal.
