After more than 36 years under wraps, former U.S. President Richard Nixon's testimony over the Watergate scandal is set to be released following a court order, the BBC said.
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth granted a request by historian Stanley Kutler to release the transcript, ruling that its historical interest far outweighed the need to keep the files secret.
The government, however, has the right to appeal the ruling.
A political scandal, sparked by a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington during the 1972 presidential campaign, prompted Nixon to resign two years later. He was the only U.S. president to resign.
The 297-page document intended for release contain Nixon's testimony over the scandal given during two days in California in June 1975, 10 months after his resignation.
Judge Lamberth wrote in his ruling that "the disclosure of President Nixon's grand jury testimony would likely enhance the existing historical record, foster scholarly discussion and improve the public's understanding of a significant historical event."
