Aftermath of a Burglary

By Ed Magnuson

What happened to the cast of a political drama

The drama that was Watergate had a cast of hundreds. Some have remained on the fringe of public attention; others have retreated to the obscurity of private lives. Here are some of the players, their roles and what they are doing now:

The Intruders

E. Howard Hunt, 63, White House leak-plugging plumber who helped plan burglary and bugging of Democratic National Committee headquarters at Watergate complex. Pleaded guilty. Served 33 months in prison. Released in February 1977. Has cleared his debts (including $387,000 in legal fees), partly by writing novels. Of 56 books he has written, his autobiography, Undercover, "did the least well," he says. Hunt's first wife died in 1972 plane crash. He has remarried. Last year he won $650,000 libel suit against right-wing Liberty Lobby, which had falsely linked him to John Kennedy's assassination. Now lives in Miami.

G. Gordon Liddy, 51, Hunt's partner and co-leader of burglary team. Privately took blame for botched job, volunteered to be shot. Refused to cooperate with prosecutors, thus spent more time in prison (52 months) than any other Watergate figure. His 1980 autobiography, Will, was bestseller (125,000 hard-cover copies). Popular on college lecture circuit, where he gets $4,500 per appearance. Lives with wife in Fort Washington, Md. Works as consultant to corporations on how to protect industrial secrets.

Other Members of Team: Bernard Barker, 64, retired last January from $18,512 job as building inspector in Miami after city investigators accused him of working fewer hours than he claimed. Virgilio R. Gonzalez, 56, master locksmith, runs general discount store in Miami with his wife. Eugenic Martinez, 60, heads leasing department of Miami Chevrolet dealer. James McCord, 63, electronics expert whose letter to Judge John Sirica began to unravel coverup, runs small solar-energy firm in Fort Collins, Colo. Frank Sturgis, 57, self-styled "Communist fighter," sells videotapes in Miami. Claims "Watergate financially destroyed me." Plotted bizarre attempt by Cuban exiles to invade U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay last year and establish "free" Cuban government there. No invader reached base.

The Conspirators

Charles Colson, 50, special counsel to President. Considered toughest, meanest of Nixon's hardball political advisers. Pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice. Served seven months. Although cynics sneered, he claimed to have been born again; few now doubt his religious sincerity. Has led full-time Prison Fellowship program, promoting Christianity among convicts, fighting for better prison conditions and more effective rehabilitation. Lecturer. Wrote autobiography that sold more than 3 million copies. Lives in McLean, Va.

John Dean, 43, White House counsel who warned Nixon that cover-up was "a cancer growing on the presidency." When unheeded, he made charges public in clash with President. Tapes verified his claims. Pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice. Served 4 1/2 months. Paid off huge legal debts with bestselling Watergate book Blind Ambition (300,000 hard-cover copies) and lecture fees. Lives in Los Angeles. With Wife Mo creates radio programs. Working on new Watergate book. Wife's book, "Mo": A Woman's View of Watergate, was profitable (60,000 hardcover copies), and both Dean books formed basis of 1979 TV miniseries.

John Ehrlichman, 57, Nixon's chief adviser on domestic policy. Described as one of "the finest public servants" when fired by Nixon in April 1973. Convicted of both Watergate cover-up and conspiracy in burglary of Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist. Served 18 months. His three Watergate-era books (two are novels) have sold well (277,000 hard-cover copies), titillating readers with gossip about Nixon's drinking, Henry Kissinger's emotional tirades. Lives with Second Wife Christy, 34, former New York City interior designer, and their 19-month-old son in Santa Fe, N. Mex. Working on another novel.

H.R. (Bob) Haldeman, 55, Nixon's Chief of Staff. The other "finest" public servant convicted of coverup. Served 18 months. Claims his Watergate book, The Ends of Power, did "extremely well" (some 100,000 hard-cover copies). Vice president of Los Angeles-based David H. Murdock Development Co., which is involved in major downtown renewal project in Baltimore. Working on TV special using his home movies of Nixon years.

Frederick LaRue, 54, Mississippi oilman on staff of Nixon's Committee for the Re-Election of the President. Handled hush money given to burglars. Pleaded guilty to coverup. Served 5 1/2 months. Now runs Mississippi oil and gas exploration company with Brother Ike.

Robert C. Mardian, 58, Assistant Attorney General and counsel for Nixon re-election committee. Found guilty of coverup, but conviction was reversed on appeal. Justice Department dropped charges rather than hold new trial. Still trying to pay $600,000 in legal fees. Lives in Phoenix. President of real estate development firm and vice president of family construction company. Says Watergate burglary was an "unbelievable stupidity.''

John Mitchell, 68, Attorney General and Nixon campaign director. Accused of approving Watergate bugging. Found guilty of coverup. Served 19 months. Only major Watergate figure who has not told or sold his story. Received $50,000 advance on book, failed to produce satisfactory manuscript, sued by Simon & Schuster. Settled out of court on undisclosed terms. After 1976 death of estranged Wife Martha, took up with Mary Gore Dean, whose family formerly owned Washington's Fairfax Hotel. Barred from law practice, he helped form Global Research, an international business consulting firm.

The Other Lawbreakers

Dwight Chapin, 41, Richard Nixon's appointments secretary. Convicted of perjury, served eight months. Works in Chicago for wealthy Republican Campaign Contributor W. Clement Stone as president and publisher of Stone's Success magazine.

Herbert Kalmbach, 60, Republican Party fund raiser and Nixon's personal attorney. Collected hush money for Watergate burglars. Pleaded guilty to breaking campaign-contribution laws, served six months. Regained right to practice law in 1977. Now partner in Hillsdale Associates, Santa Ana, Calif., real estate firm.

Richard Kleindienst, 58, became Attorney General in June 1972 after Mitchell left Cabinet to head Nixon re-election committee. Pleaded guilty to giving false testimony to Senate Judiciary Committee about antitrust suit against ITT. Suspended sentence. Acquitted last year in home state of Arizona on twelve counts of perjury allegedly committed while representing a swindler. Arizona Supreme Court suspended him from practicing law last month. U.S. Supreme Court suspended him last week from practicing before it.

Egil ("Bud") Krogh, 42, Ehrlichman's White House assistant and member of plumbers. Pleaded guilty to charges stemming from burglary of office of Ellsberg's psychiatrist. Served four months. Taught government and law at San Francisco's Golden Gate University before regaining right to practice law in 1980. Now an attorney in Seattle. Says Watergate taught him "the limitations of presidential power. It was a positive experience, but I don't recommend it."

Jeb Stuart Magruder, 47, former Haldeman aide and deputy director of Nixon re-election committee. Admitted plotting burglary and participation in coverup. Served seven months. Completing graduate study at Princeton Theological Seminary. Chosen last month over 120 other applicants to be assistant pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Burlingame, Calif. "I paid my debt to society and more," he says. "Is anybody free of sin?"

Donald Segretti, 40, political saboteur who tried to undermine primary campaigns of Nixon's potential 1972 Democratic opponents. Distributed letter maliciously claiming Henry Jackson was homosexual and Hubert Humphrey had consorted with call girl. Pleaded guilty to distributing false campaign material. Served four months. Practices law in Newport Beach, Calif.

Maurice Stans, 74, Secretary of Commerce and Nixon's chief political fund raiser. Pleaded guilty to five violations of campaign-financing laws but insisted they were "not intentional." Paid $5,000 fine. Runs one-man business-consulting firm in Pasadena, Calif. Awaiting congressional approval of his nomination by President Ronald Reagan as a director of Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

The Supporting Cast

Alexander Butterfield, 56, White House aide whose sensational Senate committee testimony first revealed existence of Nixon's secret White House recording system. Headed FAA, 1973 to 1975. Briefly held executive jobs in California aviation and insurance companies. Now self-employed management consultant.

John Caulfield, 53, Ehrlichman aide and former New York City police officer who tried to calm McCord and keep him from telling of White House connection to Watergate burglary. Suffered from ulcers and underwent stomach surgery. Works for Millionaire Industrialist Robert Abplanalp, one of Nixon's closest friends, at aerosol-valve manufacturing company in Yonkers, N.Y.

L. Patrick Gray, 65, acting FBI director whose nomination as permanent head of bureau was withdrawn before he admitted burning Watergate evidence. Accused with two aides by Justice Department in 1978 of approving illegal FBI break-ins. After charges were dropped, he filed $5.5 million suit against Government; suit still pending. Lives in Mystic, Conn. Practices law.

Henry Petersen, 61, head of Justice Department's criminal division. Used by Nixon to keep tabs on Watergate investigation. "I've got Petersen on a short leash," Nixon bragged on tape. Partner in Hundley & Cacheris, Washington law firm that defended Mitchell in conspiracy trial.

Hugh Sloan Jr., 41, Haldeman aide and treasurer of Nixon re-election committee who disclosed Liddy's withdrawal of campaign funds for Watergate snooping, cooperated with investigators. Now president of Budd Canada, branch of car-and truck-frame company. "There was a lot of personal tragedy involved," he says of Watergate. "It created a learning experience that one might not have chosen, but that certainly was a valuable one."

Anthony Ulasewicz, 63, former New York City policeman and White House gumshoe whose street lingo spiced up Senate Watergate hearings. Arranging hush-money payments, he made so many secretive phone calls from booths that he wore bus driver's money changer on his belt. He called distributing the cash "getting rid of the cookies." Convicted of tax evasion. Given year's probation. Now lives in tiny town of Day (pop. 656) in woods of northern New York. Hunts, fishes, raises chickens ("Just for eggs--I never eat my chickens"). Seeking publisher for 367-page ghostwritten manuscript called Tony U: A Private Investigator. "I was 53 when Watergate broke," he laments. "Now I'm 63 and broke."

Frank Wills, 34, security guard at Watergate complex who twice noticed tape on basement door and called Washington police, leading to capture of burglars. Apparently embittered at his inability, unlike others, to cash in on Watergate fame, he has become a recluse. His mother claims he is selling perfume door-to-door in Washington. He could not be found at address she gave.

Rose Mary Woods, 64, Nixon's longtime personal secretary. Her contortions at federal court hearings on White House tapes, as she tried to demonstrate how she could have mistakenly erased 18 1/2 minutes by simultaneously pressing recorder button and foot pedal while answering telephone, led to widespread suspicion that she was covering up for her boss. Helped Nixon at San Clemente on his post-Watergate books, then retired in 1976 on Government pension of at least $27,000 a year. Lives in Watergate apartments.

The Investigators

Richard Ben-Veniste, 39, assistant special prosecutor whose tart questioning about missing tapes frequently rattled White House staff in court hearings. Still feisty, he is founding partner of Washington law firm. Was attorney for Abscam Defendant Howard Criden, Philadelphia lawyer. Filed suit on behalf of several clients against Air Florida after last winter's crash of Boeing 737 in Potomac River.

Archibald Cox, 70, special Watergate prosecutor whose demand for access to all relevant presidential tapes prompted Nixon to order his firing, which precipitated "Saturday Night Massacre" of Oct. 20, 1973.* The soft-spoken law professor reached Harvard's mandatory retirement age in May, but continues to teach. National chairman of Common Cause, citizens' lobbying group. Worries about slippage from post-Watergate reforms. Sees "general backsliding in morality and a lack of sensitivity to high standards in Government."

Sam Dash, 57, chief counsel for Senate committee. Wrote profitable Watergate book Chief Counsel, lectured, still teaches at Georgetown University Law.

Sam Ervin, 85, Democratic Senator from North Carolina who chaired Watergate committee. His barbed questions, wreathed in jowly smiles, often skewered witnesses. Self-styled country lawyer, he resumed law practice in Morganton, N.C., after deciding in 1975 not to seek fifth term.

Leon Jaworski, 76, special Watergate prosecutor who succeeded Cox and won Supreme Court fight to obtain Nixon tapes. Got $1.5 million in royalties from his Watergate book, The Right and the Power (200,000 hard-cover sales). Put $500,000 into foundation providing Baylor Law School scholarships. Still advises his law firm in Houston. Heads board of Texas Medical Center and serves on Reagan's National Foreign Intelligence Board.

James F. Neal, 52, chief prosecutor at Watergate conspiracy trial whose closing arguments clinched convictions of Mitchell, Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Mardian. With sarcasm, he accused defendants of switching their view of "good John Dean" to "mean John Dean" after Nixon's counsel told the truth. Now practicing law in Nashville. Successfully defended Ford Motor Co. against criminal charges in Pinto gas tank fires and Elvis Presley's doctor against accusation of overprescribing drugs.

Peter Rodino, 73, Democratic Congressman from New Jersey who fairly and forcefully chaired House Judiciary Committee's impeachment proceedings. Now in his 17th term and favored for re-election in November, he still heads Judiciary Committee.

Jill Wine-Banks, 39, assistant special Watergate prosecutor. Known for both her miniskirts and her notable comment, "You took your foot off the pedal," when Rose Mary Woods tried to demonstrate how she might have accidentally erased part of Nixon tape. Divorced in 1979. Married Michael Banks, high school sweetheart. General counsel to the Army under Carter, now partner in Chicago law firm headed by Albert Jenner, who was Republican counsel to House Judiciary Committee.

The Defenders

James St. Clair, 62, Nixon's chief defense lawyer. Working under great handicap of his client's lies, he lost battle to protect tapes. Practices law in Boston, teaches part-time at Harvard Law.

Charles Alan Wright, 54, University of Texas law professor hired by Nixon as consultant in tapes case. His contention that executive privilege protected tapes was rejected by Supreme Court, 8 to 0. Paid $150 a day by White House, now gets more than $150 an hour for consulting work. Still teaches constitutional law at Austin campus.

The Judge

John J. Sirica, 78, chief judge of Washington's Federal District Court. Nicknamed "Maximum John" for his tough sentences, Sirica never believed defense argument that Watergate burglars had acted alone and said so from bench. Survived massive heart attack in 1976, thanks to mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Retired from full-time bench duty in 1977, but still handles civil suits, gets full salary of $70,300. His autobiography To Set the Record Straight (sold almost 100,000 copies in hard-cover), written with help of TIME Senior Correspondent John F. Stacks, is being made into TV movie.

The Leading Actor

Richard M. Nixon, 69, 37th President U.S. Resigned Aug. 9, 1974, rather face almost certain impeachment House of Representatives and from office in Senate trial. Pardoned his successor, Gerald Ford, on Sept. 8, 1974. Writes books, travels. Lives in Saddle N.J.

-- By Ed Magnuson.

Reported by Hays Gorey/Washington with U.S bureaus with U.S.

* Attorney General Elliot Richardson, 61, who quit rather than carry out order to fire Cox, practices law in Washington. Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus, 49, who also refused, is senior vice president of Weyerhaeuser Co. in Tacoma, Wash. Robert Bork, 55, third-ranking Justice Department official who did dismiss Cox, was appointed federal appeals court judge by President Reagan in 1981.

With reporting by Hays Gorey

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