Editing ITT Inc. (section)

===1972 Republican National Convention ===
ITT became enmeshed in scandal in connection with the [[1972 Republican National Convention]]. In May 1971, ITT president Geneen pledged $400,000 to support a proposal to hold the convention in [[San Diego]]; only $100,000 of the contribution was publicly disclosed. The [[Republican National Committee]] selected San Diego as the site in July 1971.

However, on February 29, 1972, newspaper columnist [[Jack Anderson (columnist)|Jack Anderson]] disclosed an interoffice memo from ITT lobbyist Dita Beard to ITT vice president Bill Merriam, dated June 25, 1971. The memo appeared to draw a connection between ITT's contribution to the convention and the favorable settlement of a [[United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division]] lawsuit. The resulting scandal, including a Senate investigation and the threat of criminal charges, caused ITT to withdraw its support for the San Diego convention. That combined with a shortage of hotel space and problems with the proposed venue led the RNC to move the convention to Miami.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Ancona|first=Vincent S.|date=Fall 1992|title=When the Elephants Marched out of San Diego|journal=Journal of San Diego History|publisher=San Diego Historical Society|volume=38|issue=4|url=http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/92fall/elephants.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705183100/http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/92fall/elephants.htm|archive-date=2013-07-05}}</ref> Special prosecutor [[Leon Jaworski]] investigated the case but ultimately concluded there was no evidence of criminal conduct by ITT.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,911385,00.html|title=ITT: No charges|date=June 10, 1974|work=Time Magazine|access-date=24 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019204618/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,911385,00.html|archive-date=19 October 2012}}
[http://www.trivia-library.com/a/united-states-and-american-history-1972.htm United States and American History: 1972] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070318231952/http://www.trivia-library.com/a/united-states-and-american-history-1972.htm |date=2007-03-18 }} at trivia-library.com</ref>

Nixon aides such as [[John Dean]] and [[Jeb Stuart Magruder]] have alleged that the [[Watergate scandal|Watergate break-in]] was motivated by the [[Committee for the Re-Election of the President]]'s suspicion that the [[Democratic National Committee]] was making similar deals to fund its [[1972 Democratic National Convention|1972 convention]]. This theory is supported by conversations and exchanges between President [[Richard Nixon]] and his chief of staff [[H. R. Haldeman]] before and after the break-in, as well as by testimony by [[E. Howard Hunt]]. However, this theory has also been disputed by others involved in the break-in such as [[G. Gordon Liddy]].<ref>Graff, Garrett M. (2022). ''Watergate: A New History'' (1 ed.). New York: Avid Reader Press. p. 171-172. {{ISBN|978-1-9821-3916-2}}. {{OCLC|1260107112}}</ref>