On June 17, 1972, burglars broke into and wiretapped the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office building in Washington, DC. Evidence later revealed President Richard Nixon’s re-election committee had authorized the break-in. To investigate the matter and fulfill the public’s right to know, the Senate convened the Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, headed by Senator Sam Ervin. The Ervin Committee discovered White House tape recordings that incriminated President Nixon and led to his resignation from office.