Martha Mitchell effect
His wife often called newspaper reporters at odd hours. She often called from the bathroom, so her husband wouldn't hear. Very often, her speech seemed slurred, as if she had been intoxicated by alcohol. For this reason, people didn't believe her. Only when she called Helen Thomas, and told her, that since her husband had known about the burglars, Nixon must also know, did people believe her.  Martha Mitchell said that Nixon should resign.