Sorry for a new thread. But other people's analogies to Watergate left me thinking.
In Watergate, Gray was honorable and not an ends justify means guy. Felt was dirty. Felt came off the hero.
When Hoover died, Nixon appointed Patrick Gray interim director. The Senate refused to confirm him. Gray was not a career FBI man. He was a 20 year Navy vet and lawyer. Nixon appointed him because he was no Hoover. Grey started letting women join the FBI. However, Gray also kept the WH appraised of how the Watergate investigation was going.
Also, when Dean destroyed his safe's contents he gave Gray two items: one falsified documents made to show JFK's admin had deeper ties to assassinating Diem in Vietnam that the admin may actually have had, and evidence going to JFK's extramarital affairs. Grey burned that stuff in his fireplace.
When Dean turned prosecution witness, Gray consented to having that made public. It helped out Dean, who the WH had turned on.
Gray wasn't confirmed and left public office for private life.
Mark Felt was the senior FBI guy (next to Tolson, Hoover's lover). Felt was pissed he lost out to Gray on getting the top job. Revenge and anger were his motivations for becoming Deepthroat. Felt was also the guiding hand in the FBI's systematic violation of civil rights in infiltrating anti-Vietnam war groups. His actions led to Bill Ayers and Dohrn escaping punishment. He was convicted for his anti-war investigations, and later pardoned by Reagan.
I'm not really into all that white hat black hat Comey thing. I don't think he's a good director, but that has less to do with just this instance, and more to do with his self-aggrandizing claim to political indifference. Not that he's a bad guy, and he stood down the W admin over domestic spying. He's no hack. I just think he's so impressed with his uncorruptablity that he ignores rules.
In Watergate, Gray was honorable and not an ends justify means guy. Felt was dirty. Felt came off the hero.
When Hoover died, Nixon appointed Patrick Gray interim director. The Senate refused to confirm him. Gray was not a career FBI man. He was a 20 year Navy vet and lawyer. Nixon appointed him because he was no Hoover. Grey started letting women join the FBI. However, Gray also kept the WH appraised of how the Watergate investigation was going.
Also, when Dean destroyed his safe's contents he gave Gray two items: one falsified documents made to show JFK's admin had deeper ties to assassinating Diem in Vietnam that the admin may actually have had, and evidence going to JFK's extramarital affairs. Grey burned that stuff in his fireplace.
When Dean turned prosecution witness, Gray consented to having that made public. It helped out Dean, who the WH had turned on.
Gray wasn't confirmed and left public office for private life.
Mark Felt was the senior FBI guy (next to Tolson, Hoover's lover). Felt was pissed he lost out to Gray on getting the top job. Revenge and anger were his motivations for becoming Deepthroat. Felt was also the guiding hand in the FBI's systematic violation of civil rights in infiltrating anti-Vietnam war groups. His actions led to Bill Ayers and Dohrn escaping punishment. He was convicted for his anti-war investigations, and later pardoned by Reagan.
I'm not really into all that white hat black hat Comey thing. I don't think he's a good director, but that has less to do with just this instance, and more to do with his self-aggrandizing claim to political indifference. Not that he's a bad guy, and he stood down the W admin over domestic spying. He's no hack. I just think he's so impressed with his uncorruptablity that he ignores rules.
