Alexander Butterfield, the former White House aide who revealed President Richard Nixon's secret taping system during the Watergate scandal, has died at age 99. His testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities in 1973 led to a series of events that culminated in Nixon's resignation on August 9, 1974.
Key Takeaways
Alexander Butterfield, the former White House aide who revealed President Richard Nixon's secret taping system during the Watergate scandal, has died at age 99. His testimony led to a series of events that culminated in Nixon's resignation on August 9, 1974.
- Alexander Butterfield dies at age 99
- Revealed Nixon’s secret White House taping system during Watergate investigation
- Served as deputy assistant to President Nixon from 1969 to 1973
- Believed his testimony hastened Nixon's resignation but did not anticipate the extent of its consequences
- Later worked as FAA administrator and business executive in California
Butterfield served as a deputy assistant to President Nixon from 1969 to 1973. During this time, he oversaw the installation and operation of a secret recording system in the White House, including the Oval Office and Cabinet Room, as well as Nixon's office in the Executive Office Building and at Camp David.
The existence of these recordings was revealed during Butterfield's testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities. This revelation stunned both friends and foes of Nixon and provided crucial evidence for Watergate investigators seeking to determine the extent of Nixon's involvement in the cover-up following the 1972 burglary at Democratic Party headquarters.
Butterfield believed he had played a significant role in Nixon's eventual resignation. In a 2008 oral history interview with the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, he stated that he felt responsible for hastening Nixon's downfall but did not anticipate that the tapes would lead to such drastic consequences.
After leaving the White House, Butterfield served as administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) until 1975. He later worked as a business executive in California and earned a master's degree from the University of California, San Diego. Throughout his life, he remained critical of Nixon's actions during Watergate but acknowledged some of the former president's achievements in foreign affairs.
Butterfield is survived by his wife Kim, two daughters, eight grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.
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