Why did president Nixon refuse to turn over tapes related to Watergate?

Answer 1

He claimed executive privilege to protect communications "between high Government officials and those who advise and assist them" in carrying out their duties.

Answer 2

Well, he probably refused to turn them over (at first) because Congress would have substantial evidence that Nixon's group was directly responsible for the Watergate break-in. Later on, he DID have to turn them in, but by then he had already censored much of the content and had resigned. Hope this helped~

Answer 3

President Nixon said that turning over the tapes would violate the principle of "executive privilege" which suggests that the discussions and decisions within the executive branch should remain private because of their sensitive nature. However, it was his stated intent to record Oval Office discussions for their possible value to historians.

Answer 4

He invoked the doctrine of "executive privilege" where the privacy of discussions and opinions within the executive branch is required for proper governance. However, in US v Nixon, the Supreme Court ruled that any such privilege did not extend to concealing possible evidence of criminal actions.

Answer 5

Executive privilege.