▁the ▁US G ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁Water gate ▁sc andal . ▁Also , ▁the ▁apparent ▁dist ort ions ▁and ▁d ish on esty ▁concerning ▁the ▁reported ▁progress ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁Vietnam ▁grav ely ▁er oded ▁the ▁public ' s ▁previous ▁t endency ▁to ▁put ▁its ▁trust ▁in ▁the ▁word ▁of ▁US G ▁officials . ▁Ev idence ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁had ▁demonstrated ▁" system ized ▁ab use ▁of ▁power " ▁by ▁J . ▁Ed gar ▁Ho over , ▁the ▁F BI ▁director . ▁The ▁September ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁over throw ▁of ▁a ▁dem ocrat ically ▁elected ▁government ▁in ▁Chile ▁ultimately ▁revealed ▁earlier ▁C IA ▁invol vement ▁there . ▁Other ▁factors ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁political ▁une ase , ▁e . g ., ▁the ▁pre val ence ▁of ▁consp i racy ▁theories ▁about ▁the ▁Kennedy ▁assass ination , ▁and ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁wh ist leb low ers . ▁According ly , ▁the ▁Central ▁Int elligence ▁Agency , ▁which ▁was ▁tang entially ▁involved ▁in ▁Water gate , ▁and ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁directly ▁engaged ▁in ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War ▁from ▁the ▁beginning , ▁became ▁a ▁subject ▁of ▁Cong r essional ▁inqu iry ▁and ▁media ▁interest . ▁Hel ms , ▁of ▁course , ▁had ▁served ▁as ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁C IA , ▁ 1 9 6 5 – 7 3 . ▁Event ually ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁scr ut iny ▁opened ▁a ▁secret ▁p and ora ' s ▁box ▁of ▁question able ▁C IA ▁activities . ▁ ▁First , ▁the ▁Senate , ▁in