Who was Martha Mitchell? It depends on who you ask. To some, she was a blabbermouth with a penchant for whiskey, while the other half loved her unfiltered honesty. A high-flying socialite, Martha Mitchell was one of the earliest whistleblowers in the Watergate Scandal to be silenced.
Martha Mitchell is a name lost in the section of history constantly authored by men. She tried to inform the press of her husband, John N. Mitchell, ‘s participation in the Watergate Scandal. Considered a fool and an attention seeker, she was discredited by many. But time has been kind to her, as many finally acknowledge her fight to bring down a corrupt administration.
All About Martha Mitchell
Martha Mitchell was born on September 2, 1918, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. She was fond of the arts even though she had dyslexia. Determined to be an actress, Martha attended Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. She studied the craft of acting under Maude Adams. The family, however, didn’t let her pursue acting.
After a string of jobs and relationships, she met John N Mitchell. She was “impressed with his suaveness and intellect.”They married on December 30, 1957. With her husband’s appointment as attorney general, the Mitchells became part of Nixon’s inner circle. Martha soon earned the nickname “The Mouth Of The South.”
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Martha Mitchell’s Involvement In The Watergate Scandal
When James W. McCord Jr. was arrested, Martha knew something was wrong. His arrest didn’t make sense with the official position of The White House about the break-in being unrelated to the Committee To Re-Elect The President (rightfully called CREEP). She decided to take action and blow the whistle on the troublemakers.
A frantic phone call was made to Helen Thomas of United Press International. She told Helen of her intention to leave John until he resigns and gets far away from CREEP. However, she was subdued by an ex-FBI agent, Steve King. Martha would often eavesdrop on critical political conversations and thus knew many political secrets. It was important to discredit her.
After being missing for many days, Martha was tracked by New York Daily News reporter Marcia Kramer. She found a beat-down Martha with black and blue bruises on her arms. She told the media she was kidnapped and drugged. Such measures were taken to prevent her from disclosing details about the Watergate Scandal. In 1976, McCord Jr. confirmed and corroborated her story. Unfortunately, Martha Mitchell’s whistleblower status was ignored mainly by the overriding sexism of the era.
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