Prior to his conviction, McCord served as security director for the Committee to Re-elect the President (a.k.a. CREEP, which was headed by Mitchell) and had worked for the FBI and CIA, as well as serving as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force reserves. His security consulting firm, McCord Associates, provided security services to CREEP.
After resigning from CREEP under pressure in 1974, McCord became a booster for the University of Michigan athletic department. He got Michigan in trouble by giving money from his illegal gambling ring to players. He also gave more than $800,000 in cash to Michigan State University point guard Mateen Cleaves.