was an agent of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation who retired in 1973 as the Bureau's Associate Director. After denying his involvement with reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein for 30 years, Felt revealed himself on May 31, 2005, to be the Watergate scandal's whistleblower, "Deep Throat."
Felt worked in several FBI field offices prior to his promotion to the Bureau's headquarters in Washington, D.C. During the early investigation of the Watergate scandal (1972–74), and shortly after the death of longtime FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover in May 1972, Felt was the Bureau's Associate Director, the second-ranking post in the FBI. While Associate Director, Felt provided Washington Post reporter Woodward with critical leads on the story that eventually saw the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon in 1974. In 1980, Felt was convicted of the felony of violating the civil rights of people thought to be associated with members of the Weather Underground Organization, by ordering FBI agents to search their homes as part of an attempt to prevent bombings. He was ordered to pay a $7,000 fine but was pardoned by President Ronald Reagan during his appeal. In 2006, he published an update of his 1979 autobiography, The FBI Pyramid. His last book, written with John O'Connor, is titled A G-Man's Life.
Felt's leaks to Woodward spurred the investigations that led to Nixon's resignation.
No comments:
Post a Comment