In 1972, five men were arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington D.C., while trying to bug the offices and collect information about the upcoming election. The break-in led to a series of investigations that revealed a pattern of similar illegal activity. Then, officials in the Nixon administration were accused of abuse of power while attempting to cover up the break-in. As evidence, including audio recordings implicating Nixon in the cover-up, began to surface, impeachment proceedings began, which forced Nixon to resign from office in 1974.