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Mark Felt
FBI Associate Director (1972-1973)
FBI Deputy Director convicted of ordering illegal break-ins under COINTELPRO; later revealed as Watergate's "Deep Throat"
Overview
William Mark Felt Sr. served as Associate Director of the FBI from May 1972 to June 1973, the second-highest position in the Bureau, and was effectively acting director after J. Edgar Hoover's death. Felt is most famous for being "Deep Throat," the anonymous source who provided Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein with critical information during the Watergate scandal. However, Felt's FBI career was defined by far more than whistleblowing. He was convicted in 1980 of ordering warrantless break-ins ("black bag jobs") against family members and associates of Weather Underground fugitives, violating the Fourth Amendment rights of American citizens who were not themselves suspected of any crime. The break-ins were part of the broader COINTELPRO-era domestic surveillance apparatus. Felt was fined $5,000 but received a full pardon from President Ronald Reagan on March 26, 1981. Felt kept his identity as Deep Throat secret for over 30 years, finally confirming it in a 2005 Vanity Fair article when he was 91 years old. He died in 2008 at age 95.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
WARRANTLESS BREAK-INS: Ordered and authorized warrantless break-ins ("black bag jobs") against family members and associates of Weather Underground fugitives in 1972-1973. These operations violated Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure and targeted individuals who were not themselves suspected of criminal activity.
CRIMINAL CONVICTION: Convicted in November 1980 in United States v. Felt of conspiring to violate the constitutional rights of American citizens through unauthorized searches. Co-convicted with FBI Assistant Director Edward S. Miller. Fined $5,000.
PRESIDENTIAL PARDON: Pardoned by President Ronald Reagan on March 26, 1981, who stated the agents had "acted on high principle to bring an end to the terrorism that was combating our nation." The pardon effectively endorsed illegal government searches conducted in the name of national security.
DEEP THROAT IDENTITY: Served as the anonymous source "Deep Throat" who provided critical information to Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein during the Watergate investigation (1972-1974). His motives remain debated: some argue principle, others argue he was bitter about being passed over for FBI Director.
COINTELPRO CONTINUATION: The break-ins Felt authorized were a continuation of COINTELPRO-era tactics that were supposed to have ended in 1971. Felt demonstrated that illegal surveillance practices persisted in the FBI after COINTELPRO was officially terminated.
FBI DIRECTOR AMBITIONS: After Hoover's death in May 1972, Felt expected to be named FBI Director. When Nixon appointed L. Patrick Gray instead, Felt was passed over despite being the most experienced official in the Bureau. Some historians argue his Watergate leaks were motivated partly by this professional slight.
SURVEILLANCE STATE LEGACY: Felt's career embodies the paradox of the national security state: he simultaneously exposed illegal activity at the highest levels of government (Watergate) while himself committing illegal activity at the highest levels of government (warrantless searches).
Related Investigations (1)
Criminal Charges & Violations
4 documented violations
18 U.S.C. 241Conspiracy Against Rights: Convicted of conspiring to violate constitutional rights through warrantless break-ins targeting Weather Underground associates; pardoned by Reagan(Civil Rights Violations)
18 U.S.C. 242Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law: Used FBI authority to authorize warrantless searches of private homes(Civil Rights Violations)
Fourth AmendmentUnreasonable Search and Seizure: Ordered break-ins of homes without judicial authorization or probable cause(Constitutional Violations)
18 U.S.C. 2511Illegal Wiretapping: Participated in broader FBI domestic surveillance operations outside legal authority(Surveillance Crimes)
Known Associates & Connections
J. Edgar Hoover
FBI Director under whom Felt served for three decades
William C. Sullivan
FBI colleague; Sullivan headed domestic intelligence until his 1971 removal
Edward S. Miller
Co-defendant convicted alongside Felt for warrantless break-ins; also pardoned by Reagan
Richard Nixon
President whose administration Felt helped expose in Watergate while serving as FBI Associate Director
Sources & Documentation
5 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
United States v. Felt, Criminal Case (D.D.C. 1980)(1980)
Bob Woodward - "The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate's Deep Throat"(2005)
Senate Church Committee: Final Report - Book III, COINTELPRO(1976)
Mark Felt - "The FBI Pyramid: From the Inside"(1979)
John O'Connor - "I'm the Guy They Called Deep Throat" (Vanity Fair)(2005)
Personal Information
- Born
- August 17, 1913
- Birthplace
- Twin Falls, Idaho
- Also Known As
- Deep Throat, W. Mark Felt
Education
- •University of Idaho, BA
- •George Washington University, JD
Key Timeline
August 17, 1913
Born in Twin Falls, Idaho
1935
Graduates from University of Idaho
1938
Earns law degree from George Washington University
1942
Joins the FBI as a special agent
1964
Promoted to Assistant Director, Inspection Division
1971
Becomes Deputy Associate Director under Hoover
1972-05-02
J. Edgar Hoover dies; Felt expects to be named Director but Nixon appoints L. Patrick Gray instead
1972-05
Promoted to Associate Director (No. 2 position); effectively runs day-to-day FBI operations
1972-06
Begins providing information to Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward as "Deep Throat" during Watergate investigation
1972-1973
Authorizes warrantless break-ins against Weather Underground associates while simultaneously leaking Watergate information
1973-06
Retires from the FBI
1978
Indicted for ordering warrantless break-ins
1980-11
Convicted in United States v. Felt along with Edward S. Miller; fined $5,000
1981-03-26
Pardoned by President Ronald Reagan
2005-05-31
Revealed as "Deep Throat" in Vanity Fair article at age 91, ending one of the greatest mysteries in American political history
December 18, 2008
Dies in Santa Rosa, California at age 95