Known as President Nixon’s “evil genius,” Colson was the ruthless enforcer behind the administration’s dirtiest political tricks.
The Watergate Scandal: As Special Counsel to the President, he was a key figure in the conspiracy to cover up the Watergate burglaries.
The “Plumbers”: He helped organize the covert unit known as the “White House Plumbers” to stop information leaks, which led to the break-in at the office of Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist.
The Fall: In 1974, facing arrest, he pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice. He served seven months in prison, where he famously became a born-again Christian.