Watergate Scandal Revived by Mark Felt Death and Frost/Nixon

The Watergate scandal is past its 36th anniversary, yet it still maintains its power in so many ways. Still regarded as the time when Americans officially lost their trust in their leaders, the Watergate scandal that claimed Richard Nixon is the benchmark for every scandal ever since. This month, in particular, has turned out to be big for Watergate memories.

Today, news broke out of Mark Felt's death, as the man who finally came forward as "Deep Throat" is dead at 95. Felt joins Richard Nixon and many other Watergate players in death, and does so at a very ironic time as Nixon has new life on the big screen.

Felt died a few weeks after Frost/Nixon was released in select theaters. Though Frost/Nixon does not take place during the Watergate scandal, it address a milestone of its aftermath. Years after Felt helped Woodward and Bernstein break the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon finally admitted his part in the coverup to British journalist David Frost in a series of landmark interviews.

Felt and his alter ego, Deep Throat, broke the Watergate scandal and set off several years of secrets, coverups and conspiracies being uncovered. The illegal actions were constantly denied by Nixon, but the evidence became overwhelming thanks in part to Felt, Woodward and Bernstein.

Nixon finally had to resign, but remained stalwart in not admitting any wrong doing and was ultimately pardoned before standing trial for any of it.

Felt had helped bring down Nixon and put an end to his administration. However, the scandals, deceit, and Nixon's continued denial left the American people betrayed and turned many of them into political cynics.

Therefore, the landmark interviews between Frost and Nixon served as a very small bit of Watergate closure when Nixon finally admitted his errors. The interviews were so big, it eventually spawned the play Frost/Nixon by Peter Morgan, which won countless awards until being brought to the screen by Ron Howard.