James McCord, Watergate Co-Conspirator, Died Two Years Ago

The death two years ago of James W. McCord, one of President Richard Nixon's men arrested at the Watergate complex in 1972, was kept entirely out of the press, according to the website Kennedys and King.

McCord died June 15, 2017, but his family wanted to keep it quiet. Filmmaker Shane O'Sullivan first published news of McCord's death in his book, "Dirty Tricks: Nixon, Watergate, and the CIA," a history of the Watergate investigation released in November 2018.

The Washington Post said McCord died of pancreatic cancer in Douglassville, Pennsylvania. He was 93.

McCord served in the CIA for 19 years before being privately employed as head of security for the Committee to Reelect the President (CREEP).  

McCord, along with four other burglars, were arrested June 17, 1972 during a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. They were caught wiretapping phones and stealing documents.

Nixon took steps to cover up the crime but was re-elected later that year in a landslide victory. His role was revealed two years later, leading to his resignation, the first of a U.S. president.

McCord was convicted of conspiracy, burglary, and bugging the Democratic Party's Watergate headquarters.

After 16 days of trial spanning 60 witnesses and more than 100 pieces of evidence, the jury found them guilty of all charges against them in just under 90 minutes.

• John Dean: Mueller Report 'More Damning' Than Watergate
• Mueller the Boy Scout