David R. Young, Nixon Aide Behind Watergate 'Plumbers', Dies at 89
David R. Young, a former Nixon White House aide who was instrumental in organizing the secretive White House Special Investigations Unit, known as the 'Plumbers', has died at the age of 89. His death was confirmed by his family, marking the end of a life deeply entwined with one of the most tumultuous periods in American political history. Young passed away from complications of a stroke at his home in New York City on December 27, according to his son, Christopher Young. Born in Philadelphia in 1935, Young's career path initially seemed destined for academia. After serving in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, he pursued higher education, earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master's degree from the London School of Economics. He later obtained a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. However, his intellectual prowess and legal acumen eventually led him to the corridors of power in Washington, D.C. Young's entry into the Nixon administration came through his connection with John Ehrlichman, a key advisor to President Richard M. Nixon. In 1969, Ehrlichman appointed Young to the White House staff as a special assistant. Young was assigned to the National Security Council (NSC), where he served as a liaison between the NSC and the Council on Economic Advisers. His analytical skills and loyalty to the Nixon administration quickly made him a trusted figure within the inner circle. By 1971, the Nixon administration was becoming increasingly paranoid about leaks to the press, particularly concerning the classified Pentagon Papers, which had been leaked to The New York Times. The Pentagon Papers revealed that successive administrations had systematically lied to the public about the scope and progress of the Vietnam War. The disclosure infuriated President Nixon and his top aides, who viewed it as a direct threat to national security and the stability of his presidency. In response to this perceived threat, Nixon authorized the creation of a special investigative unit tasked with stopping leaks and discrediting the administration's political enemies. This unit, unofficially dubbed the 'Plumbers' because they were hired to 'stop leaks', was established in the summer of 1971. David Young was one of the key figures chosen to help steer this covert operation. Working closely with Ehrlichman and another top aide, Bob Haldeman, David Young helped organize the logistics and funding of the Plumber unit. He played a pivotal role in recruiting personnel, most notably Egil 'Bud' Krogh and David Young (himself), as well as arranging meetings for higher-level officials. One of his most significant contributions was coordinating the recruitment of E. Howard Hunt, a former CIA officer, and G. Gordon Liddy, a former FBI agent, to serve as field operatives for the unit. These two men would later become central figures in the Watergate scandal. David Young's involvement in the Plumber unit's activities went beyond mere administrative support. He was actively involved in planning operations intended to undermine the credibility of the Nixon administration's critics. One such operation involved the burglary of the office of Dr. Lewis Fielding, the psychiatrist of Daniel Ellsberg, the man who had leaked the Pentagon Papers. The goal was to find information that could be used to discredit Ellsberg mentally or personally. Although Young did not physically participate in the break-in, he was aware of the plans and helped facilitate the gathering of intelligence for the operation. While Young was deeply embedded in the early activities of the Plumber unit, his direct involvement in the scandal began to wane before the infamous Watergate break-in in June 1972. He had been moved out of the White House to the State Department in the spring of 1971, a transition that was ostensibly a promotion but also served to distance him from the increasingly erratic and illegal activities of the Plumber unit. Despite his physical separation from the White House, Young remained on the periphery of the unraveling conspiracy. When the Watergate scandal broke wide open following the arrest of five men breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex, investigators eventually traced the money and connections back to the White House. David Young's name surfaced in the investigation, particularly regarding the funding and authorization of the initial Plumber operations. In 1973, David Young was identified by the Senate Watergate Committee as a key participant in the conspiracy to obstruct justice. He was indicted on charges of conspiracy, burglary, and wiretapping. However, Young was never convicted of any crimes related to Watergate. In a controversial decision, the Justice Department declined to prosecute him, citing a lack of sufficient evidence to secure a conviction. The charges against him were eventually dismissed. Following his departure from government service, David Young managed to largely escape the public spotlight that ensnared many of his contemporaries. Unlike John Dean, who became a vocal critic of Nixon, or G. Gordon Liddy, who became a folk hero to some on the right, Young retreated into a private life. He moved to New York City, where he worked as a business consultant and investment banker. He largely avoided the press and rarely, if ever, spoke publicly about his role in the Watergate scandal. Throughout his life, Young maintained that he was simply following orders and that he had no knowledge of the extent of the illegal activities planned by Hunt and Liddy. In the few interviews he gave over the years, he expressed regret for the affair but maintained a stoic silence regarding the inner workings of the Nixon White House. His reticence stood in stark contrast to the extensive public records and testimony that detailed his involvement. The death of David R. Young brings a final curtain down on a chapter of American history that serves as a constant reminder of the dangers of unchecked executive power. His life story is a testament to how idealism and patriotism can be twisted into unethical and illegal conduct when loyalty to a leader supersedes the rule of law. As a man who stood at the very genesis of the Watergate scandal, his passing serves as a historical bookend to an era that fundamentally reshaped the American presidency. While he never served a day in prison, the shadow of Watergate followed David Young for the rest of his life. He lived to the age of 89, witnessing the rise and fall of presidencies, the changing tides of American politics, and the enduring legacy of the scandal that defined his early career. He leaves behind a complex legacy: a man of considerable intellect and ability who chose to serve a administration that ultimately broke the law, and who played a pivotal, if understated, role in the events that led to the only presidential resignation in U.S. history. The obituaries of the Plumber architects often serve as a reminder that history is populated not just by heroes and villains, but by complex individuals making choices that resonate for decades. David R. Young was one such figure, a man whose decisions in the summer of 1971 inadvertently set in motion a chain of events that would lead to the collapse of a presidency and a crisis of confidence in the American government.
