Final answer:
President Nixon was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the indictment of seven officials for obstruction of justice related to the Watergate scandal. The break-in at DNC headquarters and Nixon's subsequent cover-up efforts, including using campaign funds to silence the burglars, led to Nixon's resignation after the release of implicating White House tapes.
Step-by-step explanation:
On March 1, 1974, a grand jury for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia indicted seven top officials of the Nixon administration and the Campaign to Re-elect the President for obstruction of justice and conspiracy to defraud. In this context, President Nixon was named an unindicted co-conspirator. This meant he was regarded as being part of the conspiracy but not formally charged with a crime due to the unresolved legal question of whether a sitting president could be indicted.
The Watergate scandal, stemming from a break-in at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters and subsequent efforts to conceal the administration's involvement, led to a constitutional crisis. Key figures such as John Mitchell, H.R. Haldeman, and John Ehrlichman had been implicated, and Nixon's own role in the affair became the subject of intense investigation. The scandal ultimately led to Nixon's resignation, making him the first U.S. President to do so, as the evidence, especially recorded tapes, implicated him in the cover-up.
Despite Nixon's initial efforts to divert attention from the administration's involvement, his tactics failed as the truth about the Watergate scandal was gradually unveiled. Revelations during the Senate hearings and the battle for the release of the White House tapes created a dramatic period in American politics that resulted in a severe loss of trust in government institutions.