Deep Throat
W. Mark Felt, known as Deep Throat during the Watergate scandal, revealed his identity on May 31, 2005. Felt played a pivotal role in unraveling the information regarding Watergate as the primary secret source of information for Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. As a top FBI official, Felt "was, at heated moments during the scandal, in charge of finding the source of Woodward and Bernstein’s Watergate scoops" (The Nation).
Online Resources
- "I'm the Guy They Called Deep Throat"Despite three decades of intense speculation, the identity of “Deep Throat”—the source who leaked key details of Nixon's Watergate cover-up to Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein—has never been revealed. Now, at age 91, W. Mark Felt, number two at the F.B.I. in the early 70s, is finally admitting to that historic, anonymous role. In an exclusive, Vanity Fair puts a name and face to one of American democracy's heroes.
- 'Washington Post' Confirms Deep Throat's IdentityThirty-three years after a break-in at the Watergate hotel, one more mystery is solved. The Washington Post has confirmed that former FBI official W. Mark Felt was Deep Throat, a confidential source who guided the newspaper's coverage of the scandal that led to President Richard Nixon's resignation. The Post's David Von Drehle interviewed Bob Woodward, who held secret meetings with Felt, and discusses the unmasking of Deep Throat.
- Deep Throat's Legacy to JournalismLess than a month ago, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the Washington Post reporters who helped topple President Nixon, made a surprise visit to Mark Felt, the man known as Deep Throat.
- How ‘Deep Throat’ Took Down Nixon From Inside the FBIFormer FBI deputy director William Mark Felt broke his 30-year silence and confirmed in 2005 that he was “Deep Throat,” the anonymous government source who helped take down President Nixon in the Watergate scandal.
- May 31, 2005: W. Mark Felt, Former FBI Official, Says He Was the Mysterious Watergate Source ‘Deep Throat’In a twist worthy of le Carré, Deep Throat was assigned the mission of unearthing—and stopping—Deep Throat.
- Who Was Deep Throat?An investigative reporter enlists his journalism students to help him solve Watergate’s most intriguing puzzle.
Research & Reference
- Mark Felt: FBI RecordsWilliam Mark Felt (1913-2008), commonly known as Mark Felt, joined the FBI in 1940 as a special agent. He rose through the ranks in several Bureau field offices, including Seattle, New Orleans, and Kansas City, and later headed the Inspection Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He retired in 1973 as acting associate director, the number two position in the FBI at the time. Felt was deeply involved in many FBI controversies and later identified himself as “Deep Throat,” a source for Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s coverage of the Watergate scandal in The Washington Post. This release consists of Mark Felt’s FBI personnel file (67E-HQ-276576), which covers the years 1941-1978, and a 1956 investigation into an extortion threat made against Felt (9-33482).
Perspectives
The Secret Man
Presents an examination of the author's long and complex relationship with the FBI official responsible for providing him with the details of the Watergate break-in, which ultimately resulted in the resignation of President Nixon.
Leak: Why Mark Felt Became Deep Throat
Through the shadowy persona of "Deep Throat," FBI official Mark Felt became as famous as the Watergate scandal his "leaks" helped uncover. Best known through Hal Holbrook's portrayal in the film version of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's All the President's Men, Felt was regarded for decades as a conscientious but highly secretive whistleblower who shunned the limelight. Yet even after he finally revealed his identity in 2005, questions about his true motivations persisted. Max Holland has found the missing piece of that Deep Throat puzzle--one that's been hidden in plain sight all along. He reveals for the first time in detail what truly motivated the FBI's number-two executive to become the most fabled secret source in American history. In the process, he directly challenges Felt's own explanations while also demolishing the legend fostered by Woodward and Bernstein's bestselling account.
Mark Felt: The Man Who Was Deep Throat
Learn why FBI agent Mark Felt was handpicked by J. Edgar Hoover and how Felt, disguised as Deep Throat, helped Washington Post reporters Woodward and Bernstein trace the Watergate Scandal back to Nixon. At 91, Felt revealed himself as Deep Throat.