With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

The President Is Under FBI Investigation. Is This Normal?

The FBI has had a role in investigating several post-Watergate scandals involving the White House.

Debategate: The FBI investigated Debategate, a 1983 scandal that emerged over the Reagan campaign’s acquisition and use of Jimmy Carter’s prep materials during a 1980 debate. Although Reagan himself was never seriously implicated, the FBI’s investigation and a concurrent House subcommittee investigation prodded at figures high up in the administration who had prominent roles in the campaign, including White House chief of staff James Baker and CIA Director William Casey. Both the FBI and the House subcommittee’s investigation failed to reach any conclusions about who was responsible.

Read entire article at Slate