--- title: "Justice Department reviews Watergate prosecutor conduct" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/justice-department-reviews-watergate-prosecutor-conduct" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/justice-department-reviews-watergate-prosecutor-conduct" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/justice-department-reviews-watergate-prosecutor-conduct.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/justice-department-reviews-watergate-prosecutor-conduct" category: "Politics" published: "2026-10-01T21:46:20.877Z" source_reported: "2026-10-01T20:20:55.000Z" updated: "2026-10-01T21:46:20.877Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 61 hype_score: 41 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-01T21:45:10.824984+00:00" --- # Justice Department reviews Watergate prosecutor conduct *Review follows presentation by former Nixon aide arguing "deep state" conspiracy* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to "people familiar with the matter" and "a Justice Department spokesperson". - Craft 61 of 100, higher is better. The report includes commentary from historians and quotes from the former White House counsel. - Hype 41 of 100, lower is better. The headline promises a review of Nixon being mistreated, which the article confirms is happening. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The Justice Department is reviewing whether the special prosecutor's office that investigated Watergate committed misconduct. - The review was prompted by a presentation from Geoff Shepard, a former Nixon aide and historian, who argued the "deep state" took Nixon down. - A Justice Department spokesperson confirmed Shepard's presentation took place. - The review is preliminary, and it is unclear if it will lead to a full investigation. The Justice Department is undertaking a preliminary review to determine if the special prosecutor's office involved in the Watergate investigation acted improperly. This review was initiated after Geoff Shepard, a former aide to President Richard Nixon and a historian, presented his theory that "deep state" actors were responsible for Nixon's downfall. A Justice Department spokesperson confirmed that Shepard's presentation occurred at the department's headquarters. ## Disagreement on the nature of the review The Wall Street Journal reported that the review is preliminary and it is unclear if it will lead to a full-fledged probe. MS Now, in its full report, also stated the review is preliminary and its outcome uncertain. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated digests mention the specific title of Geoff Shepard's presentation, "Watergate As Lawfare," which was included in MS Now's full report. None of the centre-rated digests or the right-rated digest mention the specific title of Shepard's presentation. ## Who covered it Shares of the 10 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 60% (6) - Centre: 20% (2) - Right: 20% (2) 1 of 11 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-01T21:45:10.824984+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-01T22:00:14.790Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Six left-rated reports focused on the Justice Department's review of the Watergate investigation. MS Now, in its full report, described the review as "outrageous" and "hyper-politicized," adding "insult to injury" to the targeting of prosecutors who investigated President Trump. The outlet also highlighted JD Vance's argument that the "deep state" tried to do to Donald Trump what it did to Richard Nixon, calling Vance's pitch "bonkers" and "shockingly ahistorical." Esquire stated the DOJ was "trying to recast Richard Nixon as the Victim of Watergate" instead of doing anything valuable. Alternet reported the DOJ was on a "new mission to clear Nixon’s name." Joe.My.God. and Lawyers, Guns & Money also framed the review as an attempt to absolve Nixon, with Joe.My.God. using the headline "WSJ: DOJ Is Working To Absolve Nixon For Watergate." Mediaite reported that Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV) claimed Nixon was "framed" and "couped out of office" over a "fake" scandal. ### Centre - Two centre-rated reports highlighted the Justice Department's review. Political Wire and the Wall Street Journal both reported that the department is considering whether prosecutors mistreated Richard Nixon. The Wall Street Journal's digest noted that a "revisionist historian went to DOJ headquarters to present his case that former president, his associates weren’t treated fairly." ### Right - The single right-rated report, National Review, focused on the idea that the review is unnecessary. Its headline stated, "No, We Don’t Need to Spend Taxpayer Dollars to Review Whether Nixon Got a Raw Deal," and its digest noted the issue was "resolved in 1974, and historians have been arguing about it for two generations." **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 2 - mixed: 2 - high: 4 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Joe.My.God.](https://joemygod.com/2026/10/wsj-doj-is-working-to-absolve-nixon-for-watergate) — WSJ: DOJ Is Working To Absolve Nixon For Watergate - [Mediaite](https://mediaite.com/politics/gop-rep-claims-nixon-was-framed-as-trumps-doj-probes-watergate-weaponization-against-ex-prez) — GOP Rep Claims Nixon Was ‘Framed’ As Trump’s DOJ Probes Watergate ‘Weaponization’ Against Ex-Prez - [Newsmax](https://newsmax.com/politics/watergate-richard-nixon-doj/2026/10/01/id/1271382) — Justice Department Reviews Allegations in Nixon-Era Watergate Probe - [Lawyers, Guns & Money](https://lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2026/10/trump-administrations-laser-focus-on-the-most-pressing-issues-facing-america-remains-laser-like) — Trump administration's laser focus on the most pressing issues facing America remains laser-like - [National Review](https://nationalreview.com/corner/no-we-dont-need-to-spend-taxpayer-dollars-reviewing-if-nixon-got-a-raw-deal) — No, We Don’t Need to Spend Taxpayer Dollars to Review Whether Nixon Got a Raw Deal - [BizToc](https://biztoc.com/x/0cb7675b48dc18d0) — Decades later, Trump’s DOJ to review whether Nixon was mistreated during Watergate scandal - [MS NOW](https://ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/watergate-richard-nixon-justice-department-review-trump-vance) — Decades later, Trump’s DOJ to review whether Nixon was mistreated during Watergate scandal - [Esquire](https://esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a73985111/doj-trump-vance-todd-blanche-nixon-watergate) — Instead of Doing Anything Valuable, the DOJ Is Trying to Recast Richard Nixon as the Victim of Watergate - [Alternet](https://alternet.org/trump-nixon-2677976254) — Trump DOJ on a new mission to clear Nixon’s name - [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/10/01/justice-department-reviews-if-nixon-got-a-raw-deal) — Justice Department Reviews If Nixon Got a Raw Deal - [Wall Street Journal](https://wsj.com/us-news/law/decades-after-watergate-justice-department-reviews-whether-nixon-got-a-raw-deal-8e25380f) — Decades After Watergate, Justice Department Reviews Whether Nixon Got a Raw Deal ## Questions **What is the Justice Department reviewing regarding Watergate?** The Justice Department is conducting a preliminary review to assess whether the special prosecutor's office that investigated the Watergate scandal committed misconduct. This review was prompted by a presentation from a former Nixon aide. **Who presented the theory that led to the review?** The theory was presented by Geoff Shepard, a former Nixon aide and historian. He argued that the "deep state" was responsible for orchestrating Richard Nixon's downfall during the Watergate scandal. **Has the Justice Department confirmed the presentation took place?** Yes, a Justice Department spokesperson confirmed that Geoff Shepard's presentation occurred at the department's headquarters. However, the spokesperson also indicated that the review is preliminary and it remains unclear if it will lead to a full investigation. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/justice-department-reviews-watergate-prosecutor-conduct. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Justice Department reviews Watergate prosecutor conduct", https://mediabias.news/politics/justice-department-reviews-watergate-prosecutor-conduct