2 5 ▁in ▁purs uit ▁of ▁his ▁social ist ▁policies , ▁namely , ▁in effect ive ▁projects ▁which ▁proved ▁very ▁un pop ular ▁and ▁polar izing . ▁Yet ▁the ▁military ▁jun ta ' s ▁successful ▁September ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁coup ▁d ' et at ▁was ▁double - down ▁un const itution al , ▁and ▁very ▁dirty . ▁Th ous ands ▁of ▁citizens ▁were ▁eventually ▁killed ▁and ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁were ▁held ▁as ▁political ▁prisoners , ▁many ▁being ▁tort ured . ▁The ▁civil ▁violence ▁of ▁the ▁military ▁coup ▁prov oked ▁w ides p read ▁international ▁c ensure . ▁ ▁R N : ▁Water gate ▁ ▁After ▁first ▁learning ▁of ▁the ▁Water gate ▁sc andal ▁on ▁ 1 7 ▁June ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁Hel ms ▁developed ▁a ▁general ▁strategy ▁to ▁distance ▁the ▁C IA ▁from ▁it ▁all ▁together , ▁including ▁any ▁third ▁party ▁investig ations ▁of ▁N ixon ' s ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁precip it ating ▁break - in . ▁The ▁sc andal ▁created ▁a ▁fl ur ry ▁of ▁media ▁interest ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁President ial ▁election , ▁but ▁only ▁reached ▁its ▁full ▁intensity ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁years . ▁Among ▁those ▁initially ▁arrested ▁( the ▁" pl um bers ") ▁were ▁former ▁C IA ▁employees ; ▁there ▁were ▁loose ▁ends ▁with ▁the ▁ag ency . ▁Yet ▁Hel ms ▁and ▁D D CI ▁Vern on ▁Wal ters ▁became ▁convinced ▁that ▁C IA ▁top ▁officials ▁had ▁no ▁cul p able ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁break - in . ▁It