By JIM FOULERTON

Published: 20:47 BST, 16 July 2026 | Updated: 22:38 BST, 16 July 2026

Donald Segretti was not long back from Vietnam, after being drafted, when he got a call from an old friend from the University of Southern California asking if he wanted to work for the President of the United States.

It sounded like a great opportunity but, unfortunately, it led to him becoming a member of the Committee for the Re-Election of the President (CREEP) and his name ending up synonymous with Watergate.

Half a century on, aged 84, Segretti is as engaging as he was when 60 Minutes called him ‘the most unlikely of political saboteurs.’

Since then, he has remained studiously out of the spotlight, and is one of the few remaining players from the infamous scandal.

He has rebuilt his life, successfully, still practices as a bankruptcy lawyer in California, and is happy that he has led a productive life after being caught up in the maelstrom that was Watergate.

In a rare interview with the Daily Mail, Segretti described how he was ‘thrown to the wolves’ amid the drama that engulfed the Nixon administration.

On October 10, 1972 he was first named as an ‘undercover Nixon operative’ paid by the White House and CREEP to carry out dirty tricks against Democratic presidential candidates.

The youthful 5ft 4ins lawyer then found himself at the center of a media feeding frenzy, was tracked to his apartment in Marina Del Rey, Los Angeles by the Washington Post, testified to the Senate Watergate hearings, and served four months in prison.

The whirlwind began after he spent a year as a commissioned officer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, conducting court martials in Vietnam.

He had previously been at USC where his acquaintances included members of the Trojans for Representative Government, who carried out college election dirty tricks, and went on to become Nixon White House staffers, where they were known as the ‘USC mafia.’ Segretti also had a brief spell at Cambridge University in the UK.

‘I ended up with that crowd in Washington DC. That was a nightmare. Those were not good years.’ he told the Daily Mail. ‘I was very young, comparatively, I was lured into working for the group in the White House. I was told something that turned out to be very different, and I got really maimed and beat up by much of the media at that time.

‘I mean, I didn’t call them up; they called me up. I was, you know, I ended up in the middle of something that I had no idea, or the background, or what the hell who these people were.

Richard Nixon announces his resignation from the White House on August 9, 1974

The scandal erupted after a burglary of the DNC headquarters at the Watergate building, in which Segretti had no involvement

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‘I figured out what I was in the middle of, and I broke with them. The administration at that time really wasn’t happy with me and sort of just cut me off, so I was on my own. So I was sort of thrown to the wolves.’

‘Over time, through frankly grit, hard work, persistence, I got through it, and it came out fine. Over the years, I built a nice life for myself, a successful law practice. I’m still practicing a little bit, but it was an awful time for me.’

Segretti had nothing to do with the infamous burglary of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate hotel in Washington DC.

Instead, he targeted Democratic presidential candidates in the 1972 primaries using agents who knew him as ‘Don Simmons.’

The dirty tricks were aimed particularly at derailing Democratic frontrunner Ed Muskie, who was leading Nixon in polls as the President sought reelection.

In the most famous incident, using stolen Muskie campaign stationery, letters were sent to voters saying that fellow Democratic candidate Hubert Humphrey had previously been arrested for drunk driving and that another Muskie rival, Senator Henry ‘Scoop’ Jackson, had fathered a child with a 17-year-old girl.

The stories were false and designed to appear like a dirty tricks campaign by Muskie, therefore damaging his standing.

Other Segretti tactics were less serious, including booking unwanted guests and entertainers for Muskie events. He stood across the road and watched them turn up.

In a famous scene from the Hollywood movie ‘All the President’s Men,’ in which Segretti is played by Robert Walden, the Washington Post journalist Carl Bernstein, played by Dustin Hoffman, turns up at his door in Marina Del Rey.

The Segretti character calls his dirty tricks ‘Nickel-and-dime stuff. Stuff with a little “wit” attached to it.’

He also introduces the term ‘ratf**king,’ which had been coined at USC to refer to political pranks.

Segretti told the Daily Mail he never watched the movie in full because his memories of that time were too painful.

‘The whole thing was so painful,’ he said. ‘I really never sat down and watched it.’

Donald Segretti later successfully rebuilt his life as a lawyer in California

Segretti in the 1970s amid the Watergate storm

‘That’s really what it was (pranks,)’ he added. ‘I knew nothing about Watergate, but they (the media) mixed that up. I had no knowledge of 99 percent of what the hell they (the Watergate conspirators) were doing.’ 

The media ‘just ran over me,’ he said. ‘I was nobody they really knew. It was awful.’

His opinion of the Washington Post journalists, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, is that they were ‘opportunists, to put it nicely.’

When it came to the televised Senate Watergate Committee hearings in 1973. Segretti was honest about the acts of political sabotage he had carried out.

‘I was trying to survive, get through it, and I did,’ he said. ‘But it was not necessarily easy or pleasant because I’m generally a relatively shy person.

‘All of a sudden, I got in the middle of something that was way beyond my control. The dynamics of it were immense, and I was in the middle of it.

‘It was a show, a political show. I looked across the table and the senators were all in makeup, TV makeup. The questions were all framed in a certain way. It was a show. I was one of the puppets.’

The star witness of the hearings was Nixon’s White House Counsel John Dean.

‘He was for John Dean,’ said Segretti. ‘I’m sorry, my viewpoint may be different than a lot of people.’

In 1974, Segretti pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of distributing illegal campaign literature, relating to the Muskie dirty tricks.

He served four months in prison, the second half of it in an unusual setting.

‘I walked in, and I was in like a witness protection program, and there were maybe 12 other people there, and they looked at me and they greeted me in Italian, because most of them were mafia, mafia from the east coast,’ he said. ‘Everybody was pleasant to me. They couldn’t figure out why I was there.’

His California law license was suspended for two years, with authorities taking into account his remorse and cooperation with Watergate investigators.

Donald Segretti in 1973 after appearing before the Watergate grand jury

A newspaper announces the resignation of President Richard Nixon

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the investigative journalists for the Washington Post who uncovered the Watergate scandal

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Two decades later, in 1995, Segretti ran for a Superior Court judgeship in Orange County, California – but the specter of Watergate still loomed large.

‘At one point, I was told you’d make a wonderful judge, and I ran as a judge, but the press got all over it,’ Segretti said. ‘I said it’s not going to work, it’s just not, there’s no dignity to to doing this, inappropriate for that office, it’s not going to make sense.

‘They drug up a lot of nasty stuff, and a lot of it untrue.

‘But that’s the way they focused it and, you know, once they write something in a newspaper, whether it’s right or wrong, it’s in print, and if you’re an individual without something behind you, it becomes fact. Fiction becomes fact.’

By 2000, Segretti was an Orange County co-chair of John McCain’s presidential campaign. There were no dirty tricks.

‘Believe me, we didn’t do anything like this,’ he said. ‘I ran a very straightforward campaign. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the nomination at that time.

‘And that was my last involvement with politics. It can be very brutal and nasty.’

Donald Segretti is still working as a lawyer aged 84

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He added: ‘I worked hard, through grit and perseverance I built a comfortable practice, got married, raised a family, have a wonderful daughter and grandchildren, and led a productive, quiet life.

‘I do business law, I still do some bankruptcy to help people that get into trouble, and help them get through difficult times in their lives. And I used my experience during that time to understand what people go through and try to help them out.’

These days he views goings-on in Washington ‘from the provinces’ and is shocked by some of what he sees.

‘I’m appalled,’ he said. ‘I have particular viewpoints on a lot of things, but number one, there’s too much money in politics. We get the wrong people in. The wrong people are running for office. Many of the wrong people have been elected to office.’

He is concerned by some Supreme Court decisions, including Citizens United, which allowed money to flood into political campaigning, and ‘decisions with regard to more power to the executive, decisions regarding immunity of the President to certain acts, I disagree with all of this.’

Segretti added: ‘We’ve gotten away from the country that used to be, and the way it was formed, and the thinking that went behind it.

‘So, it’s a very unnerving time for the country, and in some ways, although Watergate was a watershed, what’s happened now is profound and will last a lot longer than some of the lessons of Watergate.’

Asked to compare Nixon and President Trump, he said: ‘Well, they’re completely different. Nixon, in his heart, with all his flaws, and he had many, wanted to do the right thing for the country. I think Trump has different views. It’s all about Trump and his family. That’s a pretty dogmatic statement, I guess. Maybe not completely true. They’re both flawed but different ways.’

Segretti descibed himself as an ‘old-fashioned Republican – I liked Eisenhower.’

Segretti said he ‘broke’ with Nixon a long time ago, but is still a Republican.

‘I’m a old-fashioned Republican. I liked Eisenhower,’ he said.

‘We don’t have a strong two-party system. The Democrats are off on a tangent. They haven’t done much to have checks and balances, and it’s all about power between the two parties. They seem to sacrifice what’s good for the country.

‘I think we’re seeing problems going on with our government right now, right under our feet. I think in the long, longer medium term, I think hopefully America will rejuvenate itself, but in the short term, we’re going through a very rough time period. We’ve got some institutional flaws. I don’t think we’ve had good leadership in either party.’

Meanwhile, Watergate seems a very long time ago.

‘I closed the chapter on that,’ he said. ‘I tell clients, many times when they go through a trauma in their life, let’s close the chapter on that and look forward and go on. That’s what I did, and hopefully others will do the same.’

The long‑vacant Debenhams unit at The Bridges Shopping Centre in Sunderland is the subject of new plans to turn it into a multi‑storey go‑karting and entertainment hub, bringing noise, neon and new life back to one of the centre’s biggest spaces.

The building has stood empty since Debenhams closed in May 2021, but if the vision goes ahead, shoppers could soon be watching karts whizz past where mannequins once stood.

Under the proposals, the old store would be gutted and reimagined as a high‑energy venue operated by TeamSport, with two 16‑kart tracks, a dedicated “mini racers” circuit for younger drivers, bowling lanes, a sizeable arcade and new restaurant areas.

The idea is to create a place where families, groups of friends and work nights out can all find something to do under one roof – whether they’re chasing lap times or just cheering from the sidelines.

Planning documents acknowledge that the former department store is “no longer suited to modern retail requirements”, and warn that leaving such a prominent anchor unit empty drags down footfall and activity in The Bridges and the wider city centre.

The hope is that a big leisure draw will flip that on its head, encouraging trips, keeping people in the city for longer, and helping Sunderland’s centre feel busier and more vibrant into the evening as well as during the day.

If the plans are approved, the scheme is expected to create around 40 full‑time equivalent jobs, from track marshals and bar staff to technicians and managers.

Crucially, the project is designed to plug into what’s already there rather than starting from scratch.

Access and parking arrangements would remain unchanged, with visitors using the existing shopping centre entrances and car parks.

The proposal still has to go through consultation and the usual planning process, but if it gets the green light, one of Sunderland’s quietest corners could soon become one of its loudest, and liveliest.

The next Prime Minister was quizzed by the public on a series of issues

Andy Burnham took to the streets of Cardiff to speak to people in the city centre as he prepares to become Prime Minister on Monday. The former Greater Manchester mayor held an ‘ask me anything’ event as he invited people to sit down next to him and ask him about his plans.

Posting a two-and-a-half minute video of his visit, Burnham wrote: “When I said I was going to do politics differently, I meant it.

“Yesterday I spent a couple of hours in Cardiff city centre inviting people to ask me anything about my plans for the UK.”

Accompanied by the song Blue Monday by New Order, the video showed the Labour MP for Makerfield pose for selfies with the public, and was questioned on a range of matters. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here.

Footage of the visit:

These included affordable housing, to which he promised “the biggest house building program in the post-war period”.

He also shared how his dad has Alzheimer’s, and how he had become familiar with the social care situation, and promised to devote spending in the area.

He added that keeping people safe was the “first responsibility of any prime minister”, when questioned about defending the realm.

Asked what would be the soundtrack to his first 100 days as Prime Minister, he responded: “One Day Like This by Elbow.”

The former Greater Manchester mayor’s premiership has already been confirmed after he received the backing of 369 of the party’s 403 MPs, making it mathematically impossible for a rival to enter the contest.

Under Labour rules, candidates need the backing of 81 MPs to stand in a contest, meaning Mr Burnham is set for a coronation.

He has also won the support of eight of the 11 unions affiliated with the party.

Sir Keir Starmer pledged to give his “wholehearted support” to Mr Burnham as he made his final appearance at the despatch box in the House of Commons.

Asked whether he had any advice for Mr Burnham, Sir Keir said: “I will give my wholehearted support to my successor.

“I want this Labour Government to be a success. I want our country to be a success. I shall give my support privately if asked for, not publicly when not asked for.”

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Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has launched a consultation on early proposals to revitalise Station Road and Queen Street in Redcar, with a public drop-in event scheduled for Thursday, July 30, at Redcar Station.

The event will run from 12pm to 7pm and is open to all without an appointment, offering a chance to view preliminary designs, speak with council officers, and ask questions about the project.

Councillor Lynn Pallister MBE, cabinet member for growth and enterprise, said: “We’re keen to hear residents’ views at this early stage as we continue to invest in Redcar town centre.

“Redcar Station and Station Road form a key gateway into the town.

“They’re often the first things people see when they step off a train, creating an important first impression of Redcar.”

The consultation is part of wider efforts to enhance the town centre, with the recently transformed railway station serving as a focal point for regeneration.

Visitors to the drop-in event will also have the opportunity to explore the revamped station.

For those unable to attend, the designs will be available for public viewing and comment from Friday, July 31, to Friday, August 14, at Rediscover Redcar on West Terrace.

Feedback can also be submitted online through the council’s engagement platform.

Cllr Pallister encouraged participation from across the community.

She said: “We want this area to reflect the pride we have in our town and showcase what a great place Redcar is to live, work, visit and invest.

“I’d encourage everyone to come along, view the proposals and share their feedback.”

Borthwick’s side, who watched the game in a conference room in their hotel, will now instead stay in a hotel near Buenos Aires international airport on the southern outskirts on Sunday night.

“I wouldn’t suggest that everybody got a great night’s sleep last night – there were still fireworks going off at 4am this morning,” Borthwick said.

“Most of us were on the other side of the hotel and earplugs were issued to everybody, so we were prepared.

“I went up to the hotel terrace that overlooks the street fairly late and there were still a load of players just watching it and just taking it in. People jumping up and down for hours in the streets. Fireworks going off. It was something to see.

“We’d obviously all wanted England to win but one of the experiences of touring is seeing a spectacle like that in a different part of the world.”

England flanker Henry Pollock added to the decibels in the hours before Wednesday’s match, with footage emerging of the 21-year-old back row taunting local football fans gathering for the match in Plaza de la Republica.

The incident took place at England returned from a training session to their hotel on a bus. Footage showed Pollock goading fans from the upper windows, giving them a thumbs down, sticking out his tongue and waving and shushing.

Argentina fans responded with gestures of their own, with one punching the bus windows.

“Henry’s full of character,” Borthwick said. “We want character in our game and we want character in our squad.

“This squad really embraces what he brings. It takes all kinds of different personalities and we’ve got some players who wouldn’t do that and then you’ve got Henry who would go and do that.

“We embrace it. I think it was done in good nature and it came from a very good place.”

England have won nine of their past 10 meetings with the Pumas, including both Tests while on tour without their British and Irish Lions last summer.

After their most recent meeting – a 27-23 win for England at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium – Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi was involved in a confrontation with England flanker Tom Curry in the tunnel.

England have named the same starting XV that beat Fiji 73-8 last weekend while Argentina’s team contains a clutch of players based in England, including Bath full-back Santiago Carreras, Bristol centre Matias Moroni and Harlequins second row Guido Petti.

Argentina; S Carreras; Delguy, Moroni, Piccardo, M Carreras; Albornoz, Garcia; Vivas, Montoya (capt), Rapetti, Petti, Alemanno, Grondona, Kremer, Oviedo.

Replacements: Ruiz, Wenger, Delgado, Elias, Matera, Moro, Benitez Cruz, Cinti.

The Makerfield MP is set to promise a ‘distinctly Labour future’

The first details of Andy Burnham’s first speech as Labour leader can be revealed as he is set to be crowned at a special conference tomorrow (July 17).

The Makerfield MP is set to appear at the Party’s special conference tomorrow (July 18) where he will officially be named as the party’s new leader.

His official coronation as Prime Minister will follow on Monday (July 20) after Sir Keir Starmer’s last PMQs took place yesterday.

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A Labour source has revealed that Burnham is set to pay tribute to Starmer in his maiden speech, crediting him with returning Labour to government and delivering ‘one of the largest election victories in [its] history’.

He is also expected to praise Starmer’s government for its achievements including improvements to the NHS, investment in public services, and the passing of the Hillsborough Law – a campaign of which Burnham has been a prominent supporter.

He is to set out his vision for a ‘renewed’ Labour government that will focus on ‘driving growth in every postcode’ and ‘returning power to communities’.

He will say it will be a government that will have the ‘courage to fix the big things that politics has neglected’ and the ‘conviction to argue for our plans’.

He is also set to argue that only a ‘confident’ Labour government can ‘lift Britain up’ by ‘putting people and places back at the heart of national decision-making’.

Looking to recent history, he is expected to say that Britain ‘took a series of wrong turns in the 1980s’ and that a ‘new path’ is required to build a country that ‘works for all people and places’.

The government he leads will be authentically Labour, sources claim, and will offer a ‘confident alternative’ with a ‘distinctively Labour’ programme of economic renewal, more public control, reindustrialisation and power back in the hands of local communities.

He is expected to promise that the party under his leadership will be ‘unashamedly Labour’ in its priorities and decisions, and that the party will become ‘more united’ and open to working with other parties ‘rather than internal division’.

He is also set to commit to leading the entirety of ‘this great country’ including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the north and south of England.

He will praise the achievements of the Labour government, including stronger workers’ rights, NHS improvements, investment in public services and the passing of the Hillsborough Law.