1 9 7 3 , ▁of ▁invol vement ▁by ▁senior ▁campaign ▁officials ▁such ▁as ▁John ▁Mitchell . ▁The ▁contents ▁of ▁this ▁t ape ▁persu aded ▁N ixon ' s ▁own ▁law y ers , ▁Fred ▁B uz hardt ▁and ▁James ▁St . ▁Cla ir , ▁that ▁" the ▁President ▁had ▁li ed ▁to ▁the ▁nation , ▁to ▁his ▁closest ▁a ides , ▁and ▁to ▁his ▁own ▁law y ers — for ▁more ▁than ▁two ▁years ". ▁The ▁t ape , ▁which ▁Bar ber ▁Con able ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁a ▁" sm oking ▁gun ", ▁proved ▁that ▁N ixon ▁had ▁been ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁cover - up ▁from ▁the ▁beginning . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁week ▁before ▁N ixon ' s ▁res ignation , ▁Ehr lich man ▁and ▁Hal de man ▁tried ▁un success fully ▁to ▁get ▁N ixon ▁to ▁grant ▁them ▁p ard ons — which ▁he ▁had ▁promised ▁them ▁before ▁their ▁April ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁res ign ations . ▁ ▁Res ignation ▁ ▁The ▁release ▁of ▁the ▁" sm oking ▁gun " ▁t ape ▁destroyed ▁N ixon ▁polit ically . ▁The ▁ten ▁con gress men ▁who ▁had ▁voted ▁against ▁all ▁three ▁articles ▁of ▁im pe achment ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁Jud ici ary ▁Committee ▁announced ▁they ▁would ▁all ▁support ▁the ▁im pe achment ▁article ▁acc using ▁N ixon ▁of ▁ob struct ing ▁justice ▁when ▁the ▁articles ▁came ▁up ▁before ▁the ▁full ▁House . ▁Additionally , ▁Rh odes , ▁the ▁House ▁leader ▁of ▁N ixon ' s ▁party , ▁announced ▁that ▁he ▁would