ark er ' s ▁use ▁of ▁foreign ▁banks ▁in ▁April ▁and ▁May ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁to ▁depos it ▁checks ▁and ▁withdraw ▁the ▁funds ▁via ▁c ash ier ' s ▁checks ▁and ▁money ▁orders , ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁banks ▁keeping ▁the ▁entire ▁transaction ▁records ▁until ▁October ▁and ▁November ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁ ▁All ▁five ▁Water gate ▁burg l ars ▁were ▁directly ▁or ▁indirect ly ▁tied ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁CR P , ▁thus ▁causing ▁Judge ▁Sir ica ▁to ▁suspect ▁a ▁consp i racy ▁involving ▁higher - ech el on ▁government ▁officials . ▁ ▁On ▁September ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁the ▁press ▁reported ▁that ▁John ▁Mitchell , ▁while ▁serving ▁as ▁Att orney ▁General , ▁controlled ▁a ▁secret ▁Republican ▁fund ▁used ▁to ▁fin ance ▁intelligence - g ather ing ▁against ▁the ▁Democr ats . ▁On ▁October ▁ 1 0 , ▁Bob ▁Wood ward ▁and ▁Carl ▁Bern stein ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁F BI ▁had ▁determined ▁that ▁the ▁Water gate ▁break - in ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁massive ▁campaign ▁of ▁political ▁sp ying ▁and ▁sab ot age ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁the ▁N ixon ▁re - e lection ▁committee . ▁Despite ▁these ▁revel ations , ▁N ixon ' s ▁campaign ▁was ▁never ▁seriously ▁je op ard ized ; ▁on ▁November ▁ 7 , ▁the ▁President ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁biggest ▁land sl ides ▁in ▁American ▁political ▁history . ▁ ▁Ro le ▁of ▁the ▁media ▁The ▁connection ▁between ▁the