“Leak”: A New Look at Watergate’s Deep Throat

“Leak”: A New Look at Watergate’s Deep Throat

by Steven Aftergood

The Watergate scandal was a formative episode in American political culture that powerfully reinforced public skepticism towards government and fostered a heroic image of the intrepid reporter aided by his truth-telling source.  But the reality, as usual, is more complicated than the received narrative.  In a fascinating new book, “Leak: Why Mark Felt Became Deep Throat,” Max Holland probes deep into the record of Watergate to illuminate some of those complications.
The question that Holland sets out to answer is the nature of “Deep Throat’s” agenda.  What drove FBI official Mark Felt to disclose sensitive investigative information about the Watergate burglary and the ensuing coverup to Bob Woodward of the Washington Post?  What were his motivations and what was he hoping to accomplish?