▁a ▁special ▁investig ative ▁committee . ▁The ▁result ant ▁Senate ▁Water gate ▁hear ings ▁comm enced ▁were ▁broadcast ▁" g avel - to - g avel " ▁nation wide ▁by ▁P BS ▁and ▁ar oused ▁public ▁interest . ▁Wit ness es ▁test ified ▁that ▁the ▁president ▁had ▁approved ▁plans ▁to ▁cover ▁up ▁administration ▁invol vement ▁in ▁the ▁break - in , ▁and ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁voice - activ ated ▁tap ing ▁system ▁in ▁the ▁O val ▁Office . ▁Through out ▁the ▁investigation , ▁the ▁administration ▁resist ed ▁its ▁prob es , ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁constitution al ▁crisis . ▁ ▁Several ▁major ▁revel ations ▁and ▁e greg ious ▁president ial ▁action ▁against ▁the ▁investigation ▁later ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁prompt ed ▁the ▁House ▁to ▁commence ▁an ▁im pe achment ▁process ▁against ▁N ixon . ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁ ▁ruled ▁that ▁N ixon ▁must ▁release ▁the ▁O val ▁Office ▁t apes ▁to ▁government ▁investig ators . ▁The ▁t apes ▁revealed ▁that ▁N ixon ▁had ▁consp ired ▁to ▁cover ▁up ▁activities ▁that ▁took ▁place ▁after ▁the ▁break - in ▁and ▁had ▁attempted ▁to ▁use ▁federal ▁officials ▁to ▁def lect ▁the ▁investigation . ▁The ▁House ▁jud ici ary ▁committee ▁then ▁approved ▁articles ▁of ▁im pe achment ▁against ▁N ixon ▁for ▁obst ruction ▁of ▁justice , ▁ab use ▁of ▁power , ▁and ▁cont empt ▁of ▁Congress . ▁With ▁his ▁comp licity ▁in ▁the ▁cover - up ▁made ▁public ▁and ▁his ▁political ▁support ▁completely ▁er oded , ▁N ixon ▁res igned