What Did "Creep" Do in Addition to the Watergate Break-ins?
You probably know the name E. But here's what most people miss: the Watergate break-in was just one piece of a much larger, darker puzzle. Hunt wasn't a one-off burglar. Howard Hunt — or at least you've heard of Watergate. He was a seasoned operator who carried out a whole series of illegal activities for the Nixon administration, from breaking into a psychiatrist's office to running domestic espionage operations that would make a Cold War spy novel look tame.
So let's talk about what "Creep" — Hunt's nickname in the intelligence world — was actually up to. Because the Watergate scandal wasn't an isolated incident. It was part of a pattern Practical, not theoretical..
Who Was "Creep"? The Man Behind the Nickname
E. Howard Hunt got the nickname "Creep" during his CIA days, and it stuck. He was a former CIA officer with a background in covert operations, particularly in Latin America. After leaving the CIA in 1970, he went to work for the Committee to Re-elect the President (CRP), also known as CREEP — which is where the "Creep" nickname got an extra layer of irony.
But Hunt wasn't just a hired hand. Practically speaking, he was a key player in what became known as the "Plumbers" — an unofficial White House task force formed in 1971 to stop leaks of classified information. The name came from the idea that they were "plugging leaks." In practice, they were running illegal operations that had nothing to do with national security and everything to do with political dirty tricks.
That's where things get interesting — and that's where the Watergate break-in fits into a much bigger picture.
The Ellsberg Break-in: The Job That Started It All
Before Watergate, there was the break-in that set the template. And their target? Think about it: lewis Fielding in Los Angeles. In September 1971, Hunt and another man named James McCord (who would later be caught at Watergate) broke into the office of Dr. The psychiatric records of Dr. Daniel Ellsberg.
Not the most exciting part, but easily the most useful Small thing, real impact..
Ellsberg was the former Pentagon analyst who had leaked the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times — a massive expose on the Vietnam War that embarrassed the Nixon administration. The White House wanted him destroyed. So they sent Hunt to dig up whatever he could from Ellsberg's personal life.
They didn't find much. Now, the Ellsberg break-in showed Hunt and his team that they could operate with relative impunity. Worth adding: no one stopped them. But the attempt itself was a crime — breaking and entering, burglary, violation of privacy laws. Because of that, no one asked questions. And it worked. That success — or lack of consequences — is what made Watergate feel possible Less friction, more output..
Domestic Espionage and Political Sabotage
Here's what most people don't realize: Watergate wasn't about gathering intelligence. Worth adding: it was about political sabotage. And Hunt was deep in that world.
He was involved in a range of activities designed to help Nixon's re-election:
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The Canuck Letter: In 1972, a fake letter was circulated in New Hampshire suggesting that Democratic candidate Edmund Muskie was soft on civil rights and had made racist comments about French-Canadians. The letter was designed to hurt Muskie's campaign. Hunt was linked to this operation The details matter here. Simple as that..
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Surveillance of Journalists: The Plumbers unit targeted reporters who were investigating the administration. They bugged phones, opened mail, and tried to dig up dirt on anyone who might be a leak threat Easy to understand, harder to ignore. No workaround needed..
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Break-in Planning: There were plans to break into the Brookings Institution (a think tank) to steal documents related to Vietnam policy. Whether this was actually carried out is still debated, but the fact that it was planned shows how far they were willing to go Small thing, real impact..
Hunt wasn't working alone, of course. He was part of a network that included White House counsel John Dean, chief of staff H.R. But haldeman, and Attorney General John Mitchell. Because of that, the Plumbers had approval from the top. That made them dangerous — and it made the cover-up that much more critical once things went wrong Most people skip this — try not to..
The Watergate Break-in: The Job That Blew Everything Open
Let's be clear: the Watergate break-in on June 17, 1972, was not Hunt's first rodeo. It was the one that failed.
Hunt organized the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex. Five men were caught inside the building. Even so, the goal was to plant bugs and photograph documents. Hunt was later identified as the mastermind.
What happened next is history — the cover-up unravelled, the Senate investigated, and President Nixon resigned in 1974. But the Watergate break-in itself was just one more entry in Hunt's growing list of illegal activities. It only stood out because it failed so spectacularly.
Why This Matters: The Pattern Most People Miss
Here's the thing — if you only focus on Watergate, you miss the bigger story. The Watergate break-in wasn't an aberration. It was part of a systematic abuse of power that included:
- Illegal surveillance of American citizens
- Break-ins to steal personal information
- Political sabotage designed to manipulate elections
- A cover-up that went all the way to the White House
Hunt was the guy who did the hands-on work. He was the operative. And once the Watergate scandal broke, he became the key witness who helped prosecutors piece together what had really been happening That alone is useful..
In 1974, Hunt pleaded guilty to conspiracy, burglary, and wiretapping. He served time, and later wrote books about his experiences — which only added to the sense that the Watergate scandal was just the tip of an iceberg Not complicated — just consistent. Practical, not theoretical..
Common Mistakes About What Hunt Did
A few things get misunderstood about Hunt and his activities:
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He wasn't just a burglar. Yes, he organized break-ins. But he was also involved in planning, logistics, and coordinating with White House officials. He was a manager of dirty tricks, not just a guy with a crowbar.
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Watergate wasn't his only operation. The Ellsberg break-in came first, and it was just as illegal. The Canuck Letter and other political sabotage operations were also part of his portfolio.
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He had help from the top. This is the part the Nixon administration tried to hide. Hunt wasn't a rogue agent. He was acting on orders — or at least with the knowledge and approval of senior White House officials Took long enough..
What Actually Works: Understanding the Full Scope
If you're trying to understand Watergate — or political scandals in general — here's what matters: look for the pattern, not just the headline event. Watergate works as a case study because it's the most visible example of what was actually a systemic abuse of power It's one of those things that adds up..
Hunt's other operations show that Watergate wasn't an outlier. It was part of a culture. Once you see that, the scandal makes a lot more sense. Day to day, it wasn't just a bad decision on one night. It was a way of operating that had been refined over months and years.
Worth pausing on this one.
FAQ
What was E. Howard Hunt's role in the Watergate scandal? He organized and planned the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in June 1972. He was considered one of the masterminds.
What was the Ellsberg break-in? In September 1971, Hunt and James McCord broke into the office of Dr. Lewis Fielding to obtain the psychiatric records of Daniel Ellsberg, who had leaked the Pentagon Papers Small thing, real impact. But it adds up..
What were the "Plumbers"? The Plumbers were a secret White House task force formed in 1971 to stop leaks of classified information. In reality, they carried out illegal break-ins, surveillance, and political sabotage Turns out it matters..
Was Hunt acting alone? No. He worked with White House officials including John Dean, John Mitchell, and H.R. Haldeman. He had approval — or at least implicit authorization — from senior administration figures Practical, not theoretical..
What happened to Hunt after Watergate? He pleaded guilty in 1974 to conspiracy, burglary, and wiretapping. He served roughly two years in prison and later wrote several books about his experiences No workaround needed..
The Bottom Line
E. Howard Hunt wasn't just a burglar who got caught at Watergate. He was a key figure in a wider web of illegal activity that included domestic espionage, political sabotage, and break-ins targeting journalists, activists, and political opponents. The Watergate break-in was the most famous — but it wasn't the first, and it wasn't the last.
What makes Hunt interesting isn't just what he did. They believed they were above the law. They had the resources, the connections, and the authority to make problems disappear. It's what his activities reveal about the Nixon administration's mindset. And for a while, it worked Small thing, real impact..
Not obvious, but once you see it — you'll see it everywhere Small thing, real impact..
Until it didn't.
