Intelligence

Named at last: Deep Throat, the man who brought down Nixon

The Scotsman - Top Stories - Named at last: Deep Throat, the man who brought down Nixon

RICHARD LUSCOMBE
IN MIAMI

A FORMER FBI agent yesterday identified himself as the secretive whistleblower, known as Deep Throat, who blew the lid on the Watergate scandal that prompted the resignation of Richard Nixon, the then president of the United States.

The revelation by Mark Felt, the agency’s former second-in-command, solves one of the most enduring and best-kept secrets in Washington’s political history. The former US president George Bush and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger are among those previously suspected of being the source who exposed Nixon’s dirty tricks.

Last night, the Washington Post, which broke the story, confirmed Mr Felt was its source.

"The No2 guy from the FBI, that was a pretty good source," said Ben Bradlee, the key editor at the Post in the Watergate era.

Deep Throat helped the Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to uncover details of how the Republican president was behind a 1972 burglary at the Democratic Party headquarters, in which bugs were planted and documents stolen.

But Mr Felt, now 91 and living in California, has finally stepped out of the shadows and ended a three-decades-long guessing game by telling Vanity Fair magazine: "I’m the guy they used to call Deep Throat."

In comments to his son, quoted in the magazine with his permission, Mr Felt added: "I don’t think being Deep Throat was anything to be proud of. You should not leak information to anyone."

Mr Felt did not give an interview, but according to the magazine, he and his family fully co-operated for an article in next month’s edition, providing photographs for the story and agreeing to sit for portraits. Mr Felt had long been a leading suspect as the government tip-off man who in 1974 alerted Woodward and Bernstein to Nixon’s involvement in the raid at the Watergate Building. But in 1999, he denied it, saying: "I would have done better. I would have been more effective."

Until yesterday, it was believed only four people knew the tipster’s identity: Woodward, Bernstein, their executive editor Bradlee - and Deep Throat

In their 1974 book, All the President’s Men, the journalists revealed only that their source held a sensitive position in the US government and "could be contacted only on very important occasions".

They wrote at the time: "He readily conceded his flaws. He was, incongruously, an incurable gossip, careful to label rumour for what it was, but fascinated by it. He could be rowdy, drink too much, overreach. He was not good at concealing his feelings, hardly ideal for a man in his position."

Dubbed "Deep Throat" by the Washington Post managing editor, Howard Simons, after the classic 1970s porn film, the source encouraged Woodward and Bernstein to "follow the money" as they pursued their investigation of who was behind the break-in, and assisted by confirming or denying the leads they turned up.

They often held secret rendezvous in secluded locations, such as underground car parks; scenes recreated by Robert Redford as Woodward and Dustin Hoffman as Bernstein in a 1976 film based on the book.

Mr Nixon’s position became untenable following the publication of the book and he resigned in August 1974. He is the only US president to voluntarily relinquish the post.

Woodward, now a managing editor at the newspaper, and Bernstein always previously said they would not reveal Deep Throat’s identity until after his death. "There have been numerous books and articles and speculation in journalism classes devoted to Deep Throat," Bernstein told Editor and Publisher magazine.

"When the individual dies, we will disclose his identity. We have always said the same thing. We do not go into any detail about it, not to play games but to protect the source." Vanity Fair claims that Mr Felt’s children, Joan and Mark, with whom he shared his secret in 2002, convinced him that his actions during the Watergate scandal were heroic and that he deserved public acknowledgement for what he had done.

He agreed reluctantly after his daughter convinced him that others would make money from his story. "Bob Woodward’s gonna get all the glory, but we could make at least enough money to pay some bills," Joan is quoted as saying. "Let’s do it for the family."

Mr Felt’s daughter spoke to Woodward, who visited Mr Felt in 1999, by phone more than a half a dozen times to discuss a potential joint announcement, Vanity Fair said.

But Woodward would often begin those conversations with a caveat, the magazine said, saying: "Just because I’m talking to you, I’m not admitting that he is who you think he is."

The magazine said Mr Felt’s daughter directly asked Woodward to reveal if her father was Deep Throat. "He wouldn’t do that," his daughter Joan is quoted as saying. "I said, ‘if he’s not, you can at least tell me that. We could put this to rest’. And he said ‘I can’t do that’."

The magazine said Woodward was concerned the family was pushing Mr Felt, whose health and mental sharpness were declining with age, toward exposure against his will.

June 1, 2005 at 10:21 AM in US | Permalink | Top of page | Blog Home