Mark Felt vs FBI Integrity

It bothered me when Mark Felt recently confessed to being the “Deep Throat” source on the Watergate Scandal. Felt was the number two guy in the FBI at the time, and I wondered why it was necessary for him to go to the press instead of proceeding with an FBI investigation. I don’t recall any particular allegations that the FBI was involved in stonewalling of the investigation to the benefit of Pres. Nixon or anyone else. So the conclusion would be that Felt did what he did because the FBI was incompetent and/or compromised or that Felt did so for personal reasons. When I learned that Nixon had passed over Felt for the position of Director of the FBI at the death of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, I became suspicious about the personal animus angle. Now it seems that the man appointed instead of Felt, FBI Director L. Patrick Gray, thinks Felt did it because Felt was passed over. Read it here.

I hope that Felt really did do it for personal reasons; Lord knows the FBI has had a number of black eyes recently and they don’t need another one dating from the Watergate era. This country requires that the lead law enforcement agency to be professional, honest, and competent to lead us forward to face the challenges of the 21st. Century. The FBI must overcome its entrenched bureaucracy and evolve into a first rate intelligence organization. It’s time for the FBI to give up some of its traditional criminal prosecution interests and tell local law enforcement that they must step-up to the bat on criminal issues and not depend upon Federal assistance. To become a first rate intelligence agency, the FBI is going to have to learn to share information with other Federal intelligence agencies and local law enforcement agencies as well. That is not something the FBI currently does well.