The Mastermind Emerges
Little Gordon loved to be brave. One day, when he was just a boy, he caught a rat in his backyard. Most kids would run away scared. But not Gordon! He wanted to show he was tough. So he cooked the rat and ate it!
"I had to prove I wasn't afraid," Gordon would tell people years later, his eyes shining with pride.
Born in 1930 in Brooklyn, Gordon Liddy wasn't like other kids. He dreamed big dreams. He wanted to be strong and powerful. His dad was a lawyer who taught him to work hard. His mom told him to never give up.
Fun Fact: Young Gordon was so shy, he couldn't even talk to girls! But he worked hard to be brave and strong.
When Gordon grew up, he became a special FBI agent. He wore a neat suit and carried a shiny badge. ♂️ He caught bad guys and solved crimes. Everyone said he was very good at his job.
"I love my country," Gordon would say. "I want to protect it from anyone who might hurt it."
But Gordon wanted more. He heard about a man named Richard Nixon who wanted to be president. Nixon needed brave, smart people to help him win. Gordon thought, "This is my chance to do something big!"
"When you believe in something, you have to give it everything you've got," Gordon told his friends.
Gordon was different from other people. He liked to do crazy things to show how tough he was. Once, he held his hand over a flame until his skin burned! He said it helped him be stronger.
Meeting Nixon's Team
One day, Gordon got a special phone call. Nixon's helpers wanted to meet him! They needed someone who wasn't afraid to do hard things. Someone who would keep secrets.
"We need a man like you," they told Gordon. "Someone brave and loyal."
Gordon smiled. This was his big chance! He would do anything to help Nixon win. He didn't know it then, but this choice would change his whole life.
Important Note: Gordon joined Nixon's team in 1971. Big changes were coming to America!
The people around Nixon liked Gordon right away. He was smart and worked very hard. He never complained, even when the jobs were tough. He always said "yes" when they needed help.
"Gordon is our go-to guy," they would say. "He never lets us down."
Every night, Gordon would sit at his desk planning special jobs for Nixon. He wrote everything down in a little black book. Nobody knew what was in that book except Gordon.
At home, his wife Frances worried about him working so hard. But Gordon told her, "This is important. I'm helping to protect our country."
A New Mission Begins
Soon, Gordon got a very special job. Nixon's team wanted him to lead a secret group. They would work on special projects that nobody else could know about.
"This is what I was born to do," Gordon thought. His eyes lit up with excitement.
He started meeting with other men in quiet rooms. They whispered about plans and secrets. Gordon felt important. He felt powerful. But he didn't know that these secrets would soon cause big trouble.
Young Gordon, who once ate a rat to prove he was brave, was now a grown-up making big decisions. He thought he was doing the right thing. He thought he was being a hero.
But sometimes, even heroes can make mistakes. And Gordon was about to make some very big ones...The Secret Plans Begin
Gordon sat in a dark room with his new friends. They called themselves "The Plumbers." Not because they fixed leaky pipes! They fixed leaks of secret information.
Special Note: The White House Plumbers got their name because they stopped information from leaking to newspapers!
"We need to know what the other team is doing," said Howard Hunt, Gordon's new partner. "Can you help us?"
Gordon nodded. He was good at making plans. He took out his special notebook and started writing.
Making Big Plans
The Plumbers met in a tiny office near the White House. Gordon drew pictures of a big building called the Watergate. Inside was the office of the Democratic Party - President Nixon's rivals.
"We'll need special tools," Gordon told his team. "And brave men who can keep secrets."
Gordon picked special helpers for his team:
• James McCord - good with locks
• Bernard Barker - quick and quiet
• Eugenio Martinez - knew secret paths
• Frank Sturgis - strong and brave
• Virgilio Gonzalez - could climb anything
Every day, they watched the Watergate building. They counted how many guards were there. They drew maps of every room. Gordon wrote everything down.
Getting Ready
"This will be perfect," Gordon said, showing his plans to the team. He was so sure nothing could go wrong!
Warning Signs: Some people thought the plan was too dangerous. But Gordon didn't listen.
They bought special tools:
- Tiny cameras
- Walkie-talkies
- Lock-picking tools
- Gloves so they wouldn't leave fingerprints
Gordon felt excited. This was bigger than anything he'd done before. Even bigger than being an FBI agent!
The Night Before
On a warm night in June 1972, Gordon met his team one last time. They stayed at the Howard Johnson hotel, right across from the Watergate.
"Remember," Gordon told them, "we must be very quiet. Like mice in the night."
Howard Hunt looked worried. "Are you sure about this, Gordon?"
"Trust me," Gordon said with a big smile. "Nothing can go wrong!"
Little did Gordon know, but everything was about to go very, very wrong. The biggest trouble of his life was just hours away...
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The Night Everything Changed
The clock struck midnight at the Watergate building. Gordon waited in his special hiding spot across the street. His heart was beating fast.
Important Moment: It was June 17, 1972 - a night that would change America forever!
"Team One, are you ready?" Gordon whispered into his walkie-talkie.
"Ready," James McCord's voice crackled back.
The Break-In Begins
Gordon watched as his friends snuck into the building. They wore special gloves and carried flashlights. They moved like shadows in the night.
"The door is open," McCord whispered. "We're going in!"
The team tiptoed through dark hallways. They used tape to keep doors from locking. Everything was going just as Gordon planned!
Things Go Wrong
But then something bad happened. A guard named Frank Wills was walking around the building.
He saw the tape on the doors. That wasn't right! He called the police.
Danger Alert: Police cars were coming with their lights off!
Gordon grabbed his walkie-talkie. "Get out now!" he yelled. But it was too late.
Caught in the Act
The police found Gordon's friends inside the Democratic office. They had cameras and special tools. They were trying to take pictures of secret papers!
The police asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Nobody answered. They remembered Gordon's rule: Never tell secrets!
The Great Escape
Gordon watched from his hiding place as police cars filled the street. Red and blue lights flashed everywhere.
His heart sank as he saw his friends in handcuffs. But Gordon wasn't caught! He slipped away into the night.
Back in his room, Gordon started burning papers. All his secret plans turned to ashes.
"This is bad," he thought. "Very, very bad."
The sun was coming up. Gordon knew this was just the beginning of his troubles. Soon, everyone would want to know who planned the break-in. The biggest secret in America was about to come out...
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Secrets Start to Spill
The morning after the break-in, Gordon Liddy sat in his office. His hands were shaking. The newspaper on his desk had big words: "Break-In at Watergate!"
Big Problem: Everyone wanted to know who did it!
The Phone Calls
Ring! Ring! Gordon's phone wouldn't stop ringing.
"Mr. Liddy, what do you know about the break-in?" reporters asked.
Gordon just said, "No comment." Those were his favorite words now.
Two Smart Reporters
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were special newspaper writers. They were like detectives with pencils! ✏️
"Something bigger is happening here," Bob told Carl. "We need to dig deeper!"
They started following the money. Who paid the burglars? Where did the dollars come from?
The White House Gets Scared
President Nixon's friends were worried. They had secret meetings every day.
"We need to stop these reporters!" they said. "They're getting too close!"
Secret Meeting: They made plans to hide the truth from everyone.
Gordon Stays Silent
The police wanted Gordon to talk. The news people wanted Gordon to talk. Even his friends wanted Gordon to talk!
But Gordon remembered his promise. He would never tell on his friends.
"I will keep the secrets forever," he thought.
The Truth Gets Closer
Bob and Carl found more clues every day. They talked to people who worked at the White House. They followed the money trails.
Some people were scared to talk. But others wanted to tell the truth.
Mystery Person: Someone called "Deep Throat" started helping the reporters!
No More Hiding
Gordon watched as his friends got nervous. Some started telling secrets to save themselves.
The newspapers got bigger stories every day. TV news talked about Watergate all the time.
Gordon knew the truth would come out soon. But he wouldn't be the one to tell it.
"The walls are closing in," Gordon thought. "But I won't break."
More people started asking questions about President Nixon. What did he know? When did he know it? The biggest political mystery in America was about to blow up...
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The Storm Hits Hard
The big room was full of people. Gordon Liddy sat in a special chair. Lots of important people looked at him. They wanted answers!
Big Day: Gordon had to go to court to tell what he did.
Questions and More Questions
"Did you plan the break-in?" asked the judge. ⚖️
Gordon sat up straight. He would not tell any secrets.
"I will not answer that," Gordon said. He was very brave, but also very wrong.
The President Gets Worried
At the White House, President Nixon was scared. More people were telling secrets every day!
"What did the President know?" everyone asked.
"When did he know it?"
Big Problem: The President's friends were talking to save themselves!
Gordon Goes to Jail
The judge made a decision. Gordon had done bad things. He had to go to jail!
"Twenty years in prison," said the judge.
Gordon didn't cry. He didn't say sorry. He just walked away with the police.
More Bad News
Every day brought more trouble for President Nixon:
• People found out about secret tapes • His helpers told more secrets• The news got worse and worse• Many people went to jail• Americans were very angry
The Truth Comes Out
The people who broke into Watergate worked for President Nixon!
"This is bigger than we thought," said the TV news people. "Much bigger!"
No More Hiding
Gordon watched from jail as everything fell apart. His friends were in trouble. The President was in trouble.
Big Change: The truth was finally coming out, and no one could stop it!
Everyone learned that even the President had to follow the rules. No one was above the law!
"Sometimes doing what your friends want isn't the right thing," thought Gordon in his jail cell.
The biggest political trouble in America was getting worse. What would happen to President Nixon?
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The Final Price of Loyalty
The summer of 1974 was very hot. But inside his jail cell, Gordon Liddy felt cold.
Big News: President Nixon was in big trouble!
The President Says Goodbye
On TV, President Nixon looked sad. "I will leave my job," he said.
"I am not a crook," Nixon had said before. But now he had to go away.
Gordon watched from jail. His boss was leaving. The man he tried...
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