Review of 5 FBI investigations into US presidents

(Baonghean.vn) - From a small investigative organization to a powerful force, the FBI is not afraid to investigate the current president and US government officials. Here are some cases where the FBI investigated crimes related to US presidents.

1. President Nixon and the Watergate Scandal

The Watergate scandal led to the resignation of US President Richard Nixon in 1974. Photo: AP

One of the FBI's most famous investigations was the Watergate scandal, which led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974. Two years earlier, five men had been arrested for breaking into Democratic Party offices at the Watergate building in Washington, DC.

During the investigation, US lawmakers learned that President Nixon had installed recording equipment in the White House and discovered tape recordings of conversations between Nixon and his associates.

In these tapes, President Nixon ordered officials to ask the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to lie to the FBI to obstruct the investigation. Many of Nixon's associates went to jail because of the Watergate scandal.

President Nixon himself faced a number of charges and was at risk of being removed from office. On August 8, 1974, President Nixon announced on television that he would resign the following day.

2. President Ronald Reagan and the Iran-Contra affair

When the “secret was exposed,” those involved in the incident, most of whom were generals under the President, were arrested and convicted, but President Reagan was acquitted. But that was enough to make him lose all credibility with the people and with congressmen.

The scandal involved secret U.S. arms sales to Iran in the 1980s. The Reagan administration used the proceeds to help the Contra rebels who were trying to overthrow the Nicaraguan government. At the time, U.S. arms sales to Iran were banned.

The FBI investigated several members of President Reagan's cabinet, who himself said he had no knowledge that the money was being funneled to the Contra rebels in Nicaragua. Several Reagan administration officials were charged with crimes, including Deputy National Security Advisor John Poindexter and his assistant Oliver North.

3. President Bill Clinton and the Whitewater affair

President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary in the Whitewater affair. Photo: Getty Images

While Bill Clinton was president of the United States, he and his wife Hillary Clinton were investigated for wrongdoing in connection with a real estate investment in Arkansas called Whitewater, a project that eventually collapsed and many of the partners involved in the transaction were charged with fraud and criminality.

Although Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives for perjury and obstruction of justice, he was acquitted by the Senate just two months later. Following the scandal, Bill Clinton also resigned and had his law license suspended for five years.

4. President Bill Clinton and Paula Jones & Monica Lewinsky

President Bill Clinton was almost removed from office because of his affair with intern Monica Lewinsky. Photo: Daily Stormer

In 1994, Paula Jones, a former Arkansas civil servant, accused President Bill Clinton of sexual assault. A special prosecutor investigated Paula Jones’s allegations. The case was eventually settled out of court for $850,000. However, President Bill Clinton did not admit to wrongdoing and did not apologize to Paula Jones.

During the investigation of the Paula Jones allegations, the special prosecutor discovered President Bill Clinton’s affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. President Clinton publicly denied having “relations” with Lewinsky, but he was later impeached by the House of Representatives. In 1999, the US Senate acquitted Bill Clinton and he continued to serve as US president for the rest of his term.

5. President George W. Bush and the CIA leak

President George W. Bush.

During the George W. Bush administration, several members of his administration were accused of leaking secrets about CIA agent Valerie Plame. After a reporter exposed her identity, Plame said her life and career were in danger.

Valerie Plame’s husband publicly criticized President Bush’s Iraq policy, reportedly prompting the White House to reveal her identity. Vice President Dick Cheney’s associate Lewis “Scooter” Libby was eventually charged with lying to FBI agents investigating the case.

Kim Ngoc

(Synthetic)