Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House (2017) is a political thriller drama adapted from the 2006 autobiography of former FBI Deputy Director Mark Felt, who, decades after his retirement, confessed to being the anonymous whistleblower who helped expose the FBI’s investigation of the Watergate scandal.
Felt is played by actor Liam Neeson. Diane Lane stars as Felt’s wife, Audrey, and Tony Goldwyn portrays Ed Miller, deputy assistant director (DAD) of the Inspection Division. Marton Csokas plays the role of L. Patrick Gray III, appointed as the FBI’s Acting Director by President Richard Nixon in May 1972.
Premise: After the death of FBI Deputy J. Edgar Hoover, Mark Felt fights to maintain the independence of the FBI, and, under the name “Deep Throat,” helps journalists from major publications and newspapers uncover the Watergate scandal in 1972.
I saw the movie some years back. Watching it this time, I was startled by the parallels drawn to the FBI’s current situation where, once again, current and former Bureau employees and the public are critical of the current FBI Director’s lack of independence from the White House. Some of the most dramatic scenes in the film involve the interactions between Felt, who had been passed over for the director’s position, and Acting Director Gray. Here are a few lines from their verbal exchange on Gray’s first day at FBI headquarters.
Felt: Now, let me be candid with you, Mr. Gray. The FBI is the most respected institution in the world. It is one of the two cockpits that fly America, and it is what it is because no one from the outside ever got inside. Mr. Hoover’s been old for a long time.
Gray: We all know it’s been you running the FBI. Your reputation is stellar.
Felt: Let me finish. You have no law enforcement experience. You’re an outsider. This is your battle to fight but I’m going to help you.
Gray: I appreciate that.
Felt: Don’t. It’s not an act of generosity. This is about this building and what goes on in here and what it means to the country. That is all I care about. As long as you keep the FBI first, you’ll be able to count on me.
The following is another of their conversations. This one occurred after Gray met in his FBI office with a White House official. You can also watch a video clip of the scene here.
Gray: First of all. There are no more interviews with White House or CIA people without permission.
Felt: What? Whose permission. (Addresses others in the room.) Give us a minute. Get out! (Turns back to Gray.) The FBI is an independent body.
Gray: I’m aware of that.
Felt: Are you also aware that means we don’t need permission to do anything from anybody? You give that up just one time and you don’t ever get it back. Ever.
Gray: Let’s not get dramatic. We don’t even know what this is.
Felt: That’s right. We don’t. But we’re going to find out. That’s what we do. You don’t work for them. You’re the director of the FBI now.
The movie portrays Felt suspected that the acting director was sharing information about the FBI’s investigation of the Watergate break-in with the administration. When Gray attempted to prematurely close the investigation, Felt secretly leaked sensitive information about the case to the media. Subsequently, frontpage articles led to the resignation of several White House officials, and ultimately, the resignation of President Nixon.
Did the results — the removal of a corrupt president — justify Felt’s actions?
To learn more about the Watergate investigation, listen to FBI Case File Review Episode 063: Angelo Lano – FBI Watergate Investigation.
I review movies with FBI characters and plots to find teachable moments related to FBI procedures, policies, and programs. The ideal topic for me to explore would be the proper dissemination of classified and sensitive case-related information.
The FBI media policy mandates that only authorized personnel communicate with the media. The FBI’s Office of Public Affairs serves as the primary media liaison, coordinating communication with news outlets. Members of the senior executive staff (SES) are also authorized to speak to the press regarding their divisions. Each of the Bureau’s 56 field offices has a public affairs specialist who manages local media relations to effectively convey the FBI’s message and respond to public inquiries. In some offices, special agents also handle these media rep tasks as a collateral duty.
As outlined in Prepublication Review Policy Guide 1065PG Part 01, all current and former FBI personnel are prohibited from revealing, sharing, or disclosing information acquired in the course of their employment or in association with the FBI to an unauthorized recipient without the FBI’s prior approval. An unauthorized recipient is any person who receives or reviews FBI records and information absent an official need to know and without the appropriate clearance, including, but not limited to, editors, ghostwriters, attorneys, publishers, academic institutions, etc.
Current and former FBI personnel who make prohibited disclosures are subject to administrative action, clearance revocation, disciplinary actions, civil suits, and/or criminal sanction, as appropriate.
At no time are even the highest-ranked officials allowed to release classified documents, information that would harm the integrity of FBI cases, such as the operational details and the substantive merits of ongoing investigations, and sensitive law enforcement techniques, sources, and methods.
What about whistleblowers? According to FBI Whistleblower Policy Directive 0971D Part 01 (Final), a whistleblower is an FBI employee who makes a protected disclosure to a designated authority. A protected disclosure is information the employee reasonably believes evidences any violation of any law, rule, or regulation; gross mismanagement; gross waste of funds; an abuse of authority; or substantial and specific danger to public health and safety.
In order to receive whistleblower protections, the employee must report the allegations to a designated authority. A designated authority is any supervisor in the reporting employees’ direct chain of command, the Office of the Inspector General, the Office of Professional Responsibility, and several other entities, including Congress.
It’s just a movie, but Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House reminds us of what’s at stake, at the least, the morale and careers of FBI employees, who are concerned about dangerous compromises to the Bureau’s integrity and independence, but are afraid to speak up because they are worried about reprisals, such as firing.
Mark Felt never faced consequences for his release of prohibited disclosure of protected information, specifically pertaining to the Watergate investigation. However, he was convicted of conspiracy to violate the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens by searching their homes without warrants. He was pardoned by President Ronald Reagan.
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