Dean, John Wesley, III

Dean, John Wesley, III

(born Oct. 14, 1938, Akron, Ohio, U.S.) U.S. lawyer and White House counsel. He received a law degree from Georgetown University in 1965. In 1970 he was appointed White House counsel by Pres. Richard Nixon. In 1972 Nixon asked Dean to investigate whether White House personnel were involved in the Watergate Hotel break-in (see Watergate scandal). Dean refused to issue a proposed fictitious report denying a cover-up. When indications of White House involvement grew stronger, he began telling federal investigators what he knew. Nixon fired him in April 1973; two months later Dean testified before a Senate committee about obstruction of justice by White House officials, including the president. He spent four months in prison for his role in the Watergate cover-up. His revelations contributed to Nixon's decision to resign in 1974.