▁took ▁place ▁three ▁months ▁after ▁N ixon ' s ▁res ignation . ▁The ▁Democr ats ▁gained ▁five ▁seats ▁in ▁the ▁Senate ▁and ▁forty - n ine ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁( the ▁new com ers ▁were ▁nick named ▁" W ater gate ▁Bab ies "). ▁Congress ▁passed ▁legisl ation ▁that ▁changed ▁campaign ▁finan cing , ▁to ▁am end ▁the ▁Fre edom ▁of ▁Information ▁Act , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁to ▁require ▁financial ▁dis clos ures ▁by ▁key ▁government ▁officials ▁( via ▁the ▁Eth ics ▁in ▁Government ▁Act ). ▁Other ▁types ▁of ▁dis clos ures , ▁such ▁as ▁re le asing ▁recent ▁income ▁tax ▁forms , ▁became ▁expected , ▁though ▁not ▁leg ally ▁required . ▁Pres idents ▁since ▁Franklin ▁D . ▁Ro ose vel t ▁had ▁recorded ▁many ▁of ▁their ▁convers ations ▁but ▁the ▁practice ▁pur port edly ▁ended ▁after ▁Water gate . ▁ ▁Ford ' s ▁p ardon ▁of ▁N ixon ▁played ▁a ▁major ▁role ▁in ▁his ▁defeat ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁president ial ▁election ▁against ▁Jimmy ▁Carter . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁N ixon ▁arranged ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁British ▁journalist ▁David ▁F rost ▁in ▁the ▁hope ▁of ▁impro ving ▁his ▁legacy . ▁Based ▁on ▁a ▁previous ▁interview ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁he ▁believed ▁that ▁F rost ▁would ▁be ▁an ▁easy ▁inter v iewer ▁and ▁was ▁taken ▁ab ack ▁by ▁F rost ' s ▁in cis ive ▁questions . ▁The ▁interview ▁displayed ▁the ▁entire ▁sc andal ▁to ▁the ▁American ▁people , ▁and ▁N ixon ▁formally