Story of first Watergate whistleblower Martha Mitchell, held as ‘prisoner’ after accused Nixon

A glaring new Netflix documentary has revealed the shocking but true story of Martha Mitchell – who is credited as the first person to publicly accuse President Richard Nixon of being involved in the Watergate scandal, which resulted in her being held as a ‘political prisoner’ and smeared as a mentally-ill drunk by White House officials after she spoke out.

The new doc, entitled The Martha Mitchell Effect, hit the streaming service on June 17 – in honor of the 50th anniversary of the highly controversial Watergate break-in which captivated the nation and eventually resulted in President Nixon resigning.

It told the story of the woman who was branded as the ‘Mouth of the South’, thanks to her outspokenness with the press, and the immense impact she had as one of the first whistleblowers who ultimately helped blow the lid on one of the biggest secrets the U.S. government has ever seen.

Martha, who was 53 at the time of the break-in and married to Nixon’s former Attorney General John Mitchell, was a controversial but generally well-liked figure until, in 1972, she began to suspect that Nixon and his re-election committee were responsible for the Watergate break-in. 

During the attempted robbery, a group of burglars were caught wiretapping phones and stealing documents from the Democratic National Committee building in the Watergate complex, and although Nixon tried his best to cover up his connection to the crimes, it was later revealed – with the help of Martha and other journalists at the time – that he had a hand in the break-in.

The new doc, entitled The Martha Mitchell Effect, came out on June 17 – in honor of the 50th anniversary of the controversial Watergate break-in which swept the nation and eventually resulted in President Nixon (pictured in 1963) resigning

 It told the story of the woman who was branded as the ‘Mouth of the South’ due to her outspokenness, and the impact she had as one of the first whistleblowers who helped blow the lid on one of the biggest secrets the U.S. government has ever seen

As Martha began to suspect that the then-president had been involved, she repeatedly shared her suspicions to the press, which resulted in her getting painted as crazy and a drunk by the government — and, in one horrific weekend, being held as a ‘political’ prisoner in a hotel room, where she was allegedly beaten and drugged.

Martha was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, in 1918, and went on to graduate from the University of Miami and work as a teacher and a secretary.

Martha, who at the time of the break-in was 53 and married to Nixon’s former Attorney General John Mitchell (seen together in 1971), began to suspect that Nixon and his re-election committee were responsible for the Watergate break-in in 1972 

Her first marriage was to U.S. Army officer Clyde Jennings, Jr. in 1946. After welcoming a son, the couple separated and eventually divorced in 1957.

Months later, she married John and they moved to Rye, New York, together. About a decade after they said ‘I do,’ in 1969, John was appointed as Nixon’s Attorney General, and the couple moved into the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. Together, they welcomed a son and a daughter.

Martha quickly became a press fixture thanks to her willingness to talk and express her frank opinions. 

‘A political wife isn’t like a normal person, that can do and say what they please. But I do say what I please,’ Martha said in old footage showcased in the new Netflix doc.

‘When I came along the American people related to me in certain ways, the administration couldn’t believe it. “What are they going to do with Martha Mitchell?” 

She publicly criticized Democratic politicians, and also had opinions about racism, desegregation, and the Supreme Court, which she gave freely. 

Her outspokenness could, occasionally, cause headaches for the Nixon administration. In the doc, an old clip of Nixon saw him referring to John as his most trusted advisor, but calling Martha, ‘A Hell of a menace.’ 

Dwight Chapin, deputy assistant to Nixon explained, ‘If Martha was coming to a dinner at the White House, people were on alert. Women were more reserved then, but not Martha.’ 

During the robbery, a group of burglars were caught wiretapping phones and stealing documents from the Democratic National Committee building in the Watergate complex (which has now been turned into a hotel, pictured in 2009)

 Although Nixon tried his best to cover up his connection to the crimes, it was later revealed – with the help of Martha and other journalists at the time – that he had a hand in the break-in

 As Martha began to suspect that the then-president had been involved, she shared her suspicions to the press, which resulted in her getting painted as crazy and a drunk by officials and allegedly held ‘prisoner’ by the government

According to her biography, Martha would eavesdropped on husband’s phone calls, listen in on his work meetings, and even read his papers to stay in the loop.

Martha married John (seen in 1971) in 1958. About a decade after they said ‘I do,’ in 1969, John was appointed as Nixon’s Attorney General, and the couple moved into the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C.

John said of his wife in an old interview featured in the doc, ‘I can neither control what she says or what she does. In fact she is getting to be known as “the unguided missile.”‘ 

In March 1972, her husband resigned as Attorney General to head the Committee to Re-Elect the President (officially abbreviated CRP, but often referred to as CREEP) for the 1972 campaign.

Later, reports would show how CREEP was involved in money laundering and illegal slush funds, among other nefarious deeds. 

But all of those might have remained in the dark if it hadn’t been for what happened on June 17, 1972: That night, five men were caught breaking into and burglarizing the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex. 

At the time, the Mitchells were vacationing with other Nixon officials in Newport Beach, California, when John got a call alerting him to the news. He left immediately to go back to D.C., but told Martha to stay and enjoy the rest of the trip, without telling her what was going on.

But Martha suspected something was up, and two days after he left, she found a newspaper where she read about the Watergate break-in. In the coverage, she recognized one of the burglars, former CIA officer James W. McCord, and guessed that her husband and the president were somehow involved.

‘Why did they let me go all this time without knowing about the break-in? Why did they leave me out here in California?’ she wondered in an old clip featured in the doc. 

Martha quickly became a press fixture thanks to her willingness to talk and express her frank opinions. She publicly criticized Democratic politicians, and also had opinions about racism, desegregation, and the Supreme Court, which she gave freely

At the time of the Watergate scandal, the Mitchells were in California, when John got a call alerting him to the news. He left to go back to D.C., but told Martha to stay, without revealing what was going on. John and Martha are seen in 1973

But Martha suspected something was up, after she found a newspaper where she read about the Watergate break-in. In the coverage, she recognized one of the burglars, and guessed that her husband and the president were somehow involved

‘Now, I’m inclined to believe that these characters must have gotten out of Washington because of Watergate. I immediately picked up the telephone, called Washington to find out what it was all about.’ 

Martha called United Press International reporter Helen Thomas, complaining to her that she was ‘sick and tired’ of what was happening and that if her husband didn’t get out of the ‘dirty business’ of politics, she’d leave him.

But before she could say more, CREEP security guard Steve King — whom Mitchell had left to watch his wife — came into her hotel room and disconnected the phone. Martha alleged that after that, King would not allow her to leave the room for days, and held her as a ‘political prisoner.’

‘And that was the beginning of my being held a prisoner. From then on I saw no one — allowed no food — and was literally kept a prisoner,’ she once recalled. 

Dr. Dan Romaine Kirkham revealed in the documentary that he was told to ‘tranquilize’ Martha by government officials – and that he held her down against her wishes and gave her an injection.

‘I was a doctor that was on call for the hotel. I just went to a private room. There were people in the room and they were beside themselves about her yelling and screaming,’ he explained.

Martha said a security guard hired by the government allegedly held her hostage in a hotel room and would not allow her to speak to anyone or leave for days, holding her as a ‘political prisoner’

Martha (pictured with her husband and daughter) alleged the guard kicked her and put her hand through a window, requiring her to get six stitches, as well as held her down and drugged her

Once Martha got out of the hotel after several days, she began calling reporters, sharing her story with the media, and publicly accusing numerous government officials of being involved in the Watergate scandal. Her husband is seen with Nixon

‘They wanted to calm her down. She was held down, and I did give her an injection, tranquilizer. This whole thing was very unusual right? But when some high official from the government calls, well, then you do it.’

More evidence of his involvement would eventually come to light, and amid impeachment proceedings, Nixon resigned in 1974. He is pictured the year he resigned

Martha later claimed that the security guard who holding her hostage – who went on to become chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin and was named ambassador to the Czech Republic by Donald Trump – kicked her and put her hand through a window, requiring her to get six stitches. 

Later, the Watergate conspirator she recognized in the news coverage – James – seemingly confirmed that what Martha had said was true, and that she had been ‘basically’ kidnapped in an attempt to keep her from learning what was going on.

Once Martha got out of the hotel, she began calling reporters, sharing her story with the media, and publicly accusing numerous government officials of being involved in the Watergate scandal.  Martha also encouraged President Nixon to resign.

‘Mr. President should resign immediately,’ she told UPI in May 1973. ‘He bleeds people. He draws every drop of blood and then drops them from a cliff.’

But White House officials and those close to Nixon attempted to discredit her – painting her as mentally ill and spreading rumors that she was a drunk. 

White House officials and those close to Nixon attempted to discredit Martha – who died at age 57 on May 31, 1976, from multiple myeloma – painting her as mentally ill and spreading rumors that she was a drunk

A Starz movie highlighting Martha’s involvement in the scandal, entitled Gaslit, came out back in April, which saw Julia Roberts playing the controversial reporter

In a later interview, Nixon seemed to hold Martha responsible for his downfall, stating, ‘If it hadn’t been for Martha, there’d have been no Watergate.’ She is pictured left, while Roberts is pictured playing her in Gaslight right

‘All of a sudden these rumors start flying out of the White House and the first thing I know, its in print that I’m crazy. That I’m this, that I’m that,’ she said in old footage shown in the documentary.

‘I was mortified, hurt. And I didn’t know whom had really hurt me. They’re afraid of my honesty. I’m staying in my own little apartment, hiding because I’m so embarrassed. I just completely resigned myself from politics.’

More evidence of his involvement would eventually come to light, and amid impeachment proceedings, Nixon resigned in 1974.

John, who left Martha one year prior, would later be found guilty of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury in relation to Watergate and serve 19 months in prison. 

Martha never got to be truly vindicated in the press because a year later, she was diagnosed with an advanced stage of multiple myeloma, and she died at age 57 on May 31, 1976.

In a later interview, Nixon seemed to hold Martha responsible for his downfall. 

‘I’m convinced if it hadn’t been for Martha — and God rest her soul, because she in her heart was a good person. She just had a mental and emotional problem that nobody knew about. If it hadn’t been for Martha, there’d have been no Watergate,’ he told David Frost in 1977.

‘The point of the matter is that if John had been watching that store, Watergate would never have happened. Now, am I saying here at this late juncture, Watergate should be blamed on Martha Mitchell? Of course not. It might have happened anyway. Other things might have brought it on. Who knows?’

A Starz movie highlighting Martha’s involvement in the scandal, entitled Gaslit, came out back in April, which saw Julia Roberts playing the controversial whistleblower.