10 Famous Political Memos - and what they revealed

"The Watergate Memo" (1972) - A memo written by G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt outlining a plan to break into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex, which ultimately led to the Watergate scandal.

"Smoking Gun" Memo - In 1974, during the Watergate investigation, a memo was discovered in which Nixon ordered the CIA to stop the FBI from investigating the Watergate break-in. This "smoking gun" and provided definitive evidence of Nixon's involvement in the cover-up.

"The Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US" Memo - In August 2001, the CIA sent a memo to President George W. Bush warning that Al Qaeda was planning to carry out a terrorist attack on U.S. soil. The memo was largely ignored. Less than a month later, the 9/11 attacks occurred.

“The Powell Memo” - In 1971, future Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell wrote a memo to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce outlining a strategy for corporations to counter liberal views. The memo helped shape the conservative movement in the U.S. and the rise of corporate interests.

"The Downing Street Memo" (2002) - This memo, leaked to the press in 2005, revealed that British officials believed that the U.S. government had already made up its mind to go to war with Iraq, and that intelligence was being "fixed" to support this decision.

"The Bush Torture Memos" (2002) - These memos, written by lawyers in the U.S. Department of Justice, argued that torture and other harsh interrogation techniques could be used on suspected terrorists in certain circumstances, leading to widespread controversy and condemnation.

"The Obama Drone Memo" (2011) - This memo, written by lawyers in the U.S. Department of Justice, provided the legal justification for the use of targeted drone strikes against suspected terrorists overseas, including American citizens.

"The Nunes Memo" (2018) - This controversial memo, written by Republican Congressman Devin Nunes, alleged that the FBI had used biased and politically motivated evidence to obtain a surveillance warrant against a Trump campaign adviser.

"The Iran-Contra Affair" (1985-1987) - This scandal involved secret arms sales to Iran and the use of the profits to fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua, and was revealed in part through the publication of several memos.

"Steele Dossier" (2016) - This private intelligence report, by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russian officials and was a major factor in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.