The Watergate scandal began with a crime.
On June 17, 1972 five men broke into the offices of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), located inside the Watergate office complex in Washington D.C.
It was a burglary. The intruders, part of the reelection campaign of President Richard Nixon, were attempting to wiretap the phones, steal files and other documents.
The VietNam war had created a deep divide in the country. President Nixon and his reelection campaign were concerned about the upcoming election in November 1972.
Their opposition research spiraled into illegal espionage.
The June breakin was actually the second. In May the offices of the DNC had been illegally bugged. The wiretaps were not working and the Nixon group returned to ‘fix’ the problem and steal documents.
A security guard noticed door locks taped over and ajar. He called the police and the burglary in progress was discovered. Five men were arrested.
The investigation of who, and why the five men were there, led investigators to the White House.
Eventually seven people were charged in the conspiracy to illegally spy on political opponents. Five plead guilty and two went to trial.
As for Nixon, he was reelected in November of 1972.
The real crime came in the cover up. Nixon sensed the need to cover up his involvement in the crime.
He used the CIA to impede the investigation by the FBI. A special prosecutor was appointed. The investigation dragged on through all of 1973.
A grand jury was appointed in March of 1974. Seven of Nixon’s men were indicted. Nixon was labeled as an unindicted co conspirator.
The cover up did not go well and it was that that actually caused the fall of the President. With an impending impeachment vote in the House of Representatives, President Richard Nixon resigned.
Watergate, the term, has become a way of labeling all types of political corruption and cover ups. Just add a gate to the end of the crime.
Thus,Obamagate. A rapidly expanding case of espionage activities by the Obama administration against the Trump administration.
Spygate, the scheme as it relates to Donald J, Trump, is the fraudulent FISA warrants and other spying activities against the Trump campaign.
That is Obamagate.