Deep Throat (a.k.a. W. Mark Felt)

The information that the media recieved on the whole Watergate scandal can be accredited to one anonymous source: Deep Throat. This source revealed information that allowed Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, journalists for The Washington Post, to reveal the Watergate scandal to the general public. The information Deep Throat had for the The Washington Post was very similiar to what the FBI was revealing to the White House at the time. Deep Throat was first brought to attention by Woodward and Bernstein in their book All the President’s Men. The identity of Deep Throat was a conundrum to the people seeing as Woodward and Bernstein chose to keep the source incognito. On May 31, 2005, Vanity Fair claimed to know the identity of Deep Throat:  William Mark Felt. Felt, the former Associate Director of the FBI. As the story grew in popularity Woodward, Bernstein, and Benjamin Bradlee, the Post’s executive editor confirmed this.

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Felt’s Information and the FBI

He served in the FBI for 31 years and was greatly integrated with the FBI’s knowledge on Watergate. Because of this, Nixon had suspected him. Although Felt was “confronted” on the issue (not by Nixon himself), he found ways to divert attention from himself by ordering a federal investigation on his own leaks. You can’t deny the bravery he displayed in keeping enough composure in the situation to smartly get out of trouble. Felt was the first one to suggest Nixon’s use of wiretaps to gather information on his opponents, confirmed E. Howard Hunt as a “prime suspect” in the case, and told how Gray destroyed incriminating documents towards Nixon.

Felt ‘s Questionable Methods

Many paint Felt as a hero for disclosing information that evidently led to the impeachment of Nixon and the arrest of many who were involved, but there was a side to him that tampers with his reputation. He was an avid supporter of J. Egdar Hoover, the first director of the FBI who used very contriversal and arguably illegal methods to gather information on political leaders. After Hoover’s death, Felt wanted his position, but Nixon gave the job to L. Patrick Gray III. The want to take control of the FBI may have contributed to Felt’s leaking information. Felt subscribed to Hoover’s ends-justified-the-means way of thinking.  Its open debate to whether Felt is a “hero” or not because while his actions took down a government conspiracy, he was easily ok with to manipulate whatever he needed to in order to get “justice”, even the FBI.