Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Nixon’s henchman
Mastermind of Watergate raid dies aged 90
TRIAL Liddy leaves court in 1973 after denying his role in break-in
FORMER FBI agent G Gordon Liddy secured a place in one of the biggest scandals in US history by helping to mastermind the Watergate burglary.
He famously remained unrepentant about his key role in the bungled raid, which led to the fall of US President Richard Nixon, up until his death on Tuesday aged 90.
Liddy oversaw the team of burglars who tried to bug the Democrats’ Washington HQ in 1972.
The scandal forced Republican leader Nixon to resign as President. Liddy served more than four years in prison after being convicted of burglary, conspiracy and illegal wiretapping in 1973.
Following his release he became a radio talk show host, writer and actor.
Liddy, who had suffered from Parkinson’s disease, died at his daughter’s Virginia home. His death was not linked to Covid-19.
The dad of five, who pleaded not guilty at his 1973 trial, famously said after the Watergate breakin went wrong: “If someone wants to shoot me, just tell me what corner to stand on, and I’ll be there, OK?”
He claimed Nixon was “insufficiently ruthless” but added: “I’d do it again for my president.” George Gordon Liddy was born in New Jersey in 1930 and is said to have been a “frail” boy who was inspired by rousing speeches by Adolf Hitler.
In his autobiography, Liddy wrote: “If an entire nation could be changed, lifted out of weakness to extraordinary strength, so could one person.”
He also revealed how he ate a rat aged 11 to overcome his fear of rodents. Liddy served in the army before becoming a lawyer and joining the FBI.
In 1968 he helped to organise Nixon’s presidential campaign in New York and later became general counsel on his re-election committee.
But in reality he led covert operatives, known as “The Plumbers”, tasked with finding the sources of information leaks.
Liddy was in charge of intelligence and with EX-CIA officer E Howard Hunt helped organise the Watergate burglary.
He was also involved in the attempted cover-up after five operatives were arrested at the Democrat offices on June 17, 1972.
Liddy and some of his accomplices were jailed.
He drove a Rolls-royce with the number plate H20GATE and later revealed he once made plans to kill journalist Jack Anderson after a Nixon statement that read: “We need to get rid of this Anderson guy.”
If someone wants to shoot me, just tell me what corner to stand on G GORDON LIDDY ON HIS ROLE IN WATERGATE RAID