Trending Now - Alexander Butterfield, Watergate Whistleblower, Dies at 99
WHO:
Alexander Butterfield was a deputy assistant to President Richard Nixon.
John Dean served as White House counsel to Nixon during the Watergate scandal.
Alexander Butterfield, a former aide to President Richard Nixon, died at the age of 99.
Kim Butterfield, wife of Alexander Butterfield, confirmed his death.
John Dean, former White House counsel to Nixon, confirmed Butterfield's death and commented on his responsibility in revealing the taping system.
Alexander Butterfield, a former aide to President Richard Nixon
Kim Butterfield, wife of Alexander Butterfield
John Dean, former White House counsel to Nixon
H.R. Haldeman, Nixon's chief of staff
Archibald Cox, special prosecutor overseeing the Watergate investigation
President Gerald Ford, who asked Butterfield to resign from the FAA
WHAT:
Butterfield oversaw the installation of the taping system in the White House in 1971.
The taping system included microphones placed in four locations: the Oval Office, the Cabinet Room, and other areas where Nixon conducted business.
Butterfield stated, “He had the heavy responsibility of revealing something he was sworn to secrecy on, which is the installation of the Nixon taping system,” according to John Dean.
Butterfield was confirmed as the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration by the Senate in 1973.
Butterfield oversaw the installation of the taping system connected to voice-activated listening devices in four locations, including Nixon’s office in the Executive Office Building and Camp David.
Butterfield stated, “Everything was taped … as long as the president was in attendance,” during his testimony.
The tapes included the “smoking gun” tape, which proved Nixon’s involvement in the cover-up of the Watergate break-in.
Alexander Butterfield died at the age of 99.
Butterfield disclosed the existence of a secret taping system in the White House, which recorded Nixon's conversations.
The taping system was installed in 1971 and included microphones in the Oval Office and other locations.
Butterfield confirmed the existence of the taping system during a Senate Watergate Committee hearing on July 16, 1973.
The tapes led to a legal battle, culminating in a Supreme Court ruling in July 1974 that required Nixon to release the tapes.
Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, to avoid impeachment.
WHERE:
The White House, Washington, D.C.
Camp David, presidential retreat
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) office
WHEN:
Butterfield was questioned privately by Senate committee staffers on July 13, 1973.
He testified publicly about the taping system on July 16, 1973.
Butterfield was questioned privately by Senate committee staffers on July 13, 1973, regarding the taping system.
He testified publicly about the taping system on July 16, 1973.
Butterfield was born on April 6, 1926, in Pensacola, Florida.
Butterfield served as a deputy assistant to Nixon from 1969 to 1973.
The taping system was confirmed on July 16, 1973.
Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974.
Butterfield was asked to resign from the FAA in 1975.
WHY:
Butterfield believed he had a hand in Nixon’s fate, stating, “I didn’t like to be the cause of that, but I felt that I was, in a lot of ways,” in a 2008 oral history for the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum.
Butterfield believed he had a hand in Nixon’s fate, stating, “I didn’t like to be the cause of that, but I felt that I was, in a lot of ways,” in a 2008 oral history.
Butterfield revealed the taping system to comply with congressional inquiries while balancing his loyalty to Nixon.
The taping system was intended by Nixon to ensure accurate records of conversations and to counter potential leaks.
HOW:
Butterfield joined the Air Force in 1948 and served as an instructor during the Korean War, later retiring at the rank of colonel after 20 years.
He was a military assistant to the special assistant of the defense secretary in 1965 and 1966 and later served as senior military representative of the U.S. in Australia.
Butterfield joined the Air Force in 1948 and served as an instructor during the Korean War, later retiring at the rank of colonel after 20 years.
Butterfield oversaw the installation of the taping system with the Secret Service.
He testified under oath about the taping system during a Senate investigation.
(UPDATED March 10, 2026 15:14 UTC)
In a significant revelation, Alexander Butterfield, who served as a deputy assistant to President Nixon, oversaw the installation of the controversial taping system in the White House back in 1971. This system included microphones in key locations such as the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room, and Butterfield later testified about it publicly on July 16, 1973, after being questioned privately just days earlier. Reflecting on his role, Butterfield expressed in a 2008 oral history that he felt he played a part in Nixon's fate, stating, “I didn’t like to be the cause of that, but I felt that I was, in a lot of ways.”
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(UPDATED March 10, 2026 11:11 UTC)
Alexander Butterfield, a key figure in the Watergate scandal and a former aide to President Nixon, has passed away at the age of 99, with his wife Kim confirming the news. Butterfield was instrumental in overseeing the installation of the taping system that recorded conversations in Nixon's office and other locations, famously revealing its existence during his testimony in 1973, which included the crucial "smoking gun" tape. He served in the Air Force starting in 1948 and retired as a colonel after two decades, reflecting later that he felt responsible for Nixon's downfall due to his role in the scandal.
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(UPDATED March 10, 2026 03:40 UTC)
Alexander Butterfield, who served as a deputy assistant to President Nixon and famously disclosed the existence of a secret taping system in the White House, has died at the age of 99. The taping system, which recorded Nixon's conversations and was installed in 1971, played a crucial role in the Watergate scandal, leading to a Supreme Court ruling that required Nixon to release the tapes, ultimately resulting in his resignation in 1974. Butterfield's testimony during the Senate Watergate Committee hearing in 1973 was pivotal in revealing this significant aspect of presidential history.