Alexander Butterfield revealed in 1973 that the White House had a secret taping system that automatically recorded the president’s conversations
Former White House aide Alexander Butterfield, whose testimony helped unravel the Watergate scandal, has died at 99.
Butterfield played a crucial role in the investigation of President Richard Nixon when he revealed in 1973 that the White House had a secret taping system that automatically recorded the president’s conversations.
A deputy assistant to Nixon, Butterfield oversaw the voice-activated system installed in several locations, including the Oval Office and the presidential retreat at Camp David.
His testimony stunned investigators and provided key evidence about the 1972 break-in at Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate building, and the cover-up that followed.
The tapes later became central to a legal fight that ended when the Supreme Court ordered Nixon to hand them over. He resigned less than a month, on August 9, 1974, becoming the first US president to step down from office.