, ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁G . ▁Gordon ▁L idd y , ▁Fin ance ▁Coun sel ▁for ▁the ▁Committee ▁for ▁the ▁Re - E lection ▁of ▁the ▁President ▁( CR P ) ▁and ▁former ▁a ide ▁to ▁John ▁Ehr lich man , ▁presented ▁a ▁campaign ▁intelligence ▁plan ▁to ▁CR P ' s ▁Act ing ▁Chair man ▁J eb ▁Stuart ▁Mag r uder , ▁Att orney ▁General ▁John ▁Mitchell , ▁and ▁President ial ▁Coun sel ▁John ▁Dean ▁that ▁involved ▁extensive ▁illegal ▁activities ▁against ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party . ▁According ▁to ▁Dean , ▁this ▁marked ▁" the ▁opening ▁scene ▁of ▁the ▁worst ▁political ▁sc andal ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century ▁and ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁N ixon ▁presiden cy ". ▁ ▁Mitchell ▁viewed ▁the ▁plan ▁as ▁un real istic . ▁Two ▁months ▁later , ▁Mitchell ▁approved ▁a ▁reduced ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁plan , ▁including ▁burg ling ▁the ▁Democratic ▁National ▁Committee ' s ▁( D NC ) ▁headquarters ▁at ▁the ▁Water gate ▁Complex ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C .— ost ens ibly ▁to ▁photograph ▁campaign ▁documents ▁and ▁install ▁listening ▁devices ▁in ▁tele ph ones . ▁L idd y ▁was ▁nomin ally ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁operation , ▁but ▁has ▁since ▁ins isted ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁dup ed ▁by ▁both ▁Dean ▁and ▁at ▁least ▁two ▁of ▁his ▁sub ordinates , ▁which ▁included ▁former ▁C IA ▁officers ▁E . ▁Howard ▁H unt ▁and ▁James ▁McC ord , ▁the ▁latter ▁of ▁whom ▁was ▁serving ▁as ▁then - CR P ▁Security ▁Co ordin ator