The Watergate scandal changed the laws the president must follow regarding what secrets he could keep from Congress. The most notable changes concern the law regarding explicit information acts, such as the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) amendment. After Watergate, the Freedom of Information Act was amended to allow Congress access to information that the president considers a matter of national security and that should be withheld from the public. This was initiated by several actions taken by President Nixon, such as the withholding of the "smoking tape" which single-handedly solidified his involvement in the scandal. He didn't want to disclose it because it negated everything he had previously said about his lack of involvement in the cover-up. Nixon was inadvertently taking steps to change the secrecy laws surrounding the government and the information it held through its actions during Watergate. The name Watergate comes from the complex in which the break-in took place, although it means much more than just breaking and entering. The term Watergate now encompasses all illegal actions taken by the Nixon administration that preceded and followed the break-in. The scandal began when several individuals were ordered to break into Democratic headquarters to gather information and wiretap certain phones. . The perpetrators were caught in the act, and it was discovered that they had a connection to the Nixon re-election committee and that the committee's money had been deposited into the burglars' bank accounts. These actions include the money trail that led to several high-profile politicians being paid by Nixon, the smoking gun tape, and the "dirty tricks" used by the Nixon administrator...... middle of paper...... t Address. Speech, Address to the Nation on President Nixon's Watergate Investigations, Washington DC, April 30, 1973.4. Nixon, Richard. “Watergate, second speech. » Speech, Address to the Nation on President Nixon's Watergate Investigations, Washington DC, April 30, 1973.5. The Smoking Gun Gang. Richard Nixon, RH Haldeman. June 23, 1972. http://watergate.info/1972/06/23/the-smoking-gun-tape.html Secondary sources: 1. The Washington Post (Washington DC), “'The Original Watergate Stories',” June 13 2012. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/watergate/part1.html2. Kilpatrick, Carroll. “The president refuses to hand over the tapes; Ervin Committee, Cox issues subpoena and sets state for court battle over powers issue. The Washington Post [Washington DC] July 24, 1973: b. page. The Washington Post. Internet. April 3. 2014.