Republican counsel Fred Thompson, later U.S. Senator for Tennessee:"Mr. Butterfield, are you aware of the installation of any listening devices in the Oval Office of the President?"
FAA Administrator and former White House aide Alexander Butterfield:"I was aware of listening devices. Yes, sir."
Butterfield was a surprise witness in front of the Watergate Committee.
Taping was actually still ongoing. Butterfield had not realized that this information had not been revealed by H. R. Halderman already, and that this was a bombshell that would ignite legal wrangling between the Committee and the Oval Office. Nixon would order an end to the taping on July 18.
Note that it was the GOP counsel who asked the question, about a GOP President involved in scandal.
We've certainly descended a long ways since those days. It's frankly impossible to imagine the GOP being willing to investigate a President of its own party now, and indeed it would no doubt defend him rather than uphold the rule of law.
Time magazine hit the cover with their "Monroe meets Mailor" issue.
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