▁For ▁the ▁time ▁being , ▁however , ▁Hel ms ▁had ▁succeeded ▁in ▁dist ancing ▁the ▁C IA ▁as ▁far ▁as ▁possible ▁from ▁the ▁sc andal . ▁Yet ▁Water gate ▁became ▁a ▁major ▁factor ▁( am ong ▁others : ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁war ) ▁in ▁the ▁great ▁shift ▁of ▁American ▁public ▁opinion ▁about ▁the ▁federal ▁government : ▁their ▁susp ic ions ▁ar oused , ▁many ▁vot ers ▁turned ▁critical . ▁Hence , ▁the ▁political ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁Int elligence ▁Agency ▁also ▁became ▁a ▁subject ▁of ▁controvers y . ▁ ▁Hel ms ▁dismiss ed ▁ ▁Im medi ately ▁after ▁N ixon ' s ▁re - e lection ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁he ▁called ▁for ▁all ▁appointed ▁officials ▁in ▁his ▁administration ▁to ▁res ign ; ▁N ixon ▁here ▁sought ▁to ▁gain ▁more ▁personal ▁control ▁over ▁the ▁federal ▁government . ▁Hel ms ▁did ▁not ▁consider ▁his ▁position ▁at ▁C IA ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁political ▁job , ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁traditional ▁view ▁within ▁the ▁Agency , ▁and ▁so ▁did ▁not ▁res ign ▁as ▁D CI . ▁Pre viously , ▁on ▁election ▁day ▁Hel ms ▁had ▁l unch ▁with ▁General ▁Alexander ▁Ha ig , ▁a ▁top ▁N ixon ▁security ▁ad visor ; ▁Ha ig ▁didn ' t ▁know ▁N ixon ' s ▁mind ▁on ▁the ▁future ▁at ▁C IA . ▁Ev ident ly ▁neither ▁did ▁Henry ▁K iss inger , ▁Hel ms ▁discovered ▁later . ▁On ▁November ▁ 2 0 , ▁Hel ms ▁came ▁to ▁Camp ▁David ▁to ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁N ixon ▁about ▁what ▁he