During the Watergate reporting, journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein used a source known as "Deep Throat" to uncover crucial information about the Nixon Administration's involvement in the scandal. It was later revealed that "Deep Throat" was in fact Mark Felt, the former Associate Director of the FBI. Since Felt's identity was revealed there has been speculation as to why exactly he helped Woodward & Bernstein. Some argue that Felt acted out of institutional loyalty to the FBI. Others say Felt was angry at Nixon for not appointing him FBI Director after Hoover's death. But what is the truth?
Why Did Mark Felt Help Woodward & Bernstein?
- Thread starter Amadeus
- Start date
hipper
Banned
this is what Bernstein wrote after Watergate, leaving the Washington post to do so
http://carlbernstein.com/magazine_cia_and_media.php
http://carlbernstein.com/magazine_cia_and_media.php
He was J Edgar Hoover's prodigy and helped cover things up before and after Watergate. I doubt morals had anything to do with it. I definitely lean towards "To get back at Nixon for not picking him to replace Hoover" theory.
Felt believed those actions were morally right too. He was wrong, and was convicted for his actions, but Felt went to his grave convinced that Hoover and the FBI were justified. In fact both his abuses of power and decision to leak about Watergate may have been self-justified under Felt's loyalty to the FBI, which I think he did genuinely care about.
I'm sure he thought he was morally when he acted the way he did. Very, very few people are mustache-twirling who do things "For the evilz". Hitler thought he was morally justified. In his world view, Jews were "Parasites who stole the cultural strength of other races and needed to be exterminated to allow society to thrive. " that "Their leeching caused the human race to weaken itself."
As far as the latter, nothing Nixon did was going to significantly weaken the FBI. Nixon didn't propose gutting the FBI's budget or limit its scope or close down offices or something of that nature. The only way he could think that the FBI was going to be weakened is if he thought he and he alone was capable enough to run the FBI which would be self-aggrandizing selfishness.
Nixon had pressured the FBI to not investigate Watergate, a blatant act of obstruction of justice that sought to prevent the FBI from doing its essential duty to investigate federal crimes. It's not hard to understand why a loyal FBI man like Felt would be upset by this.
That said, it's very possible that Felt had a personal agenda. Felt hated L. Patrick Gray, Nixon's choice for FBI Director. Felt in all probability had wanted the job for himself. However if that was a motivation, I doubt it was the sole purpose of the leaks to the Post.
Something Hoover did all the time, he made a career out of burying politician's dirty secrets. I doubt very much Felt objected to it otherwise he wouldn't have been Hoover's right hand man.