Deep Throat (Watergate)

:This article is about the source of information for Watergate; for other uses of the term, see Deep Throat.

Composite character theory

Although speculation always tended to focus on identifying Deep Throat as an individual, it was periodically suggested that the famous source was actually a composite character combining information the reporters obtained from several sources. When various accounts tried to identify the source based on the information provided by Woodward and Bernstein, they generally also sought to rebut alternative theories. The resulting evidence against each candidate suggested that either the reporters' tale was inconsistent, or that no single person fit the facts. Some analysts believed that the Deep Throat character was primarily a dramatic device used by the reporters to liven up their book's narrative. Before his admission, on previous occasions Felt himself had said he thought the character was likely a composite.

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Possible confirmation for this idea came out after Felt's identity as Deep Throat was publicly acknowledged. Former FBI agent Paul Daly told the Albany Times-Union that the source in question was not Felt alone, but that a number of FBI officials had coordinated the leaks, discussing what aspects they should reveal to the press. The participants named by Daly included Robert G. Kunkel, agent-in-charge of the Washington field office and leader of the Watergate burglary investigation, along with Richard Long, chief of the white-collar crimes section, and Charles Bates, assistant director of the criminal investigative division.

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