On July 16, 1973, Alexander Butterfield, a former White House aide, told a Senate committee in a televised hearing that President Richard Nixon had ordered a taping system installed. On July 24, 1974, the Supreme Court ordered Nixon to release the tapes. The vote was 8 to 0.
The White House released the tapes on August 5. A recording from June 23, 1972, showed Nixon approving a plan to have the CIA tell the FBI to “stay the hell out of this.” Nixon resigned on the evening of August 8, 1974, effective at noon the next day.