G Gordon Liddy

George Gordon Battle Liddy was born on November 30, 1930, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in Hoboken and West Caldwell, New Jersey, and attended St. Benedict’s Preparatory School. Liddy pursued higher education at Fordham University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1952 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1957. He served two years in the United States Army during the Korean War era, achieving the rank of first lieutenant. Following his military service and law school, Liddy joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 1957, working as a field agent in Indiana and Denver before becoming a bureau supervisor at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. under J. Edgar Hoover.

Liddy’s career saw a significant turn when he left the FBI in 1962. He worked as a patent attorney in New York City and later as a prosecutor in Dutchess County, New York, where he was involved in several high-profile drug raids. His political aspirations led him to run for District Attorney and then for New York’s 28th congressional district, where he ran a campaign focused on law and order. Though unsuccessful in these bids, he secured a political appointment as a special assistant for narcotics and gun control at the Treasury Department in early 1969, following his work on Richard Nixon’s presidential campaign. He was instrumental in establishing the country’s sky marshal program.

His involvement in the Nixon administration deepened, leading him to serve as an aide to Domestic Affairs Advisor John D. Ehrlichman. From 1971 to 1972, Liddy served as the nominal general counsel to the finance committee of the Committee to Re-elect the President (CRP). He became a central figure in the Watergate scandal, organizing and directing the burglaries of the Democratic National Committee headquarters. Convicted of burglary, conspiracy, and illegal wiretapping, Liddy served nearly 52 months in federal prison. After his release, he embarked on a diverse career that included authoring best-selling books, hosting a nationally syndicated radio talk show, appearing as a guest panelist for Fox News Channel, and taking on various acting roles in film and television. His autobiography, “Will,” became a best-seller and was adapted into a television film.