Max Holland; Leak: Why Mark Felt became Deep Throat; Univ Press of Kansas (March 2012)
What was Watergate about? Who was Mark Felt? Was he “Deep Throat?” If he was, why did he do it? Why should we care, now? These are some of the questions underlying, addressed in, and raised by a new book by Max Holland titled Leak: Why Mark Felt Became Deep Throat.[1]
Watergate, at its root, was about the abuse of executive branch powers. The discovery of a break-in at the office of a rival political party spiraled into an affair leading to impeachment proceedings and the resignation of a President, following revelations of high-level support for illegal activity including campaign finance violations, money laundering, wiretapping, and burglaries.
In a country based on constitutional principles like ours, drawn on a tapestry following a war for independence from tyrannical government authority, the exercise of executive branch authority always calls for oversight. And good lessons from history can help illuminate current events. In Leak, Holland provides a valuable and original inquiry into important historical questions. Holland’s interpretation gives us some insight into a murky history, and it also provides context for currently pressing questions about the integrity of government and our Rule of Law.
Who Do You Trust?
Who can we trust, when lawmakers and law enforcers become lawbreakers? What motivates those who speak out, or “leak,” to provide sensitive and previously secret information to society? Can we always rely on people of integrity to speak out when warranted? What if we can’t trust the people who do speak out, or the people who report what they say? Read more
