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Mark Felt
Mark Felt | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 2nd Associate Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation | |
| In office May 3, 1972 – June 22, 1973 | |
| President | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | Clyde Tolson |
| Succeeded by | James B. Adams |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Mark Felt August 17, 1913 Twin Falls, Idaho, U.S. |
| Died | December 18, 2008 (aged 95) Santa Rosa, California, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Audrey Robinson
(m. 1938; died 1984) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Idaho (BA) George Washington University (JD) |
| Nickname | "Deep Throat" |
William Mark Felt Sr. (August 17, 1913 – December 18, 2008) was an American law enforcement officer who worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 1942 to 1973 and was known for his role in the Watergate scandal. Felt was an FBI special agent who eventually rose to the position of Deputy Director, the Bureau's second-highest-ranking post. Felt worked in several FBI field offices prior to his promotion to the Bureau's headquarters. In 1980, he was convicted of having violated the civil rights of people thought to be associated with members of the Weather Underground, by ordering FBI agents to break into their homes and search the premises as part of an attempt to prevent bombings. He was ordered to pay a fine, but was pardoned by President Ronald Reagan during his appeal.
In 2005, at age 91, Felt revealed to Vanity Fair magazine that during his tenure as Deputy Director of the FBI he had been the anonymous source known as "Deep Throat",[1][2] who provided The Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein with critical information about the Watergate scandal, which ultimately led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974. Woodward, who had long vowed not to reveal Deep Throat's identity while the source was still alive, quickly confirmed Felt's claim. Though Felt's identity as Deep Throat was suspected, including by Nixon himself,[3] it had generally remained a secret for 30 years. Felt finally acknowledged that he was Deep Throat after being persuaded by his daughter to reveal his identity before his death.[4]
Felt published two memoirs: The FBI Pyramid in 1979 (updated in 2006) and A G-Man's Life, written with John O'Connor in 2006. In 2012, the FBI released Felt's personnel file covering the period from 1941 to 1978. The agency also released files pertaining to an extortion threat made against Felt in 1956.[5]
- ^ John D. O'Connor, "I'm the Guy They Called Deep Throat" Archived June 24, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, Vanity Fair, July 2005
- ^ McDermott, Annette (May 10, 2018). "How 'Deep Throat' Took Down Nixon From Inside the FBI". History.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ Robert Yoon; Stephen Bach (June 3, 2005). "Tapes: Nixon suspected Felt". CNN. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
i'm the guywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "40 years later, remembering Watergate scandal's 'Deep Throat'". CNN. June 15, 2012. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
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