Nixon's FBI: the Bureau in Crisis
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University of Mississippi eGrove Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2016 Nixon's FBI: The Bureau In Crisis Melissa Graves University of Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Graves, Melissa, "Nixon's FBI: The Bureau In Crisis" (2016). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 639. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/639 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. NIXON’S FBI: THE BUREAU IN CRISIS A Dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History The University of Mississippi MELISSA GRAVES May 2016 Copyright © 2016 by Melissa Graves All rights reserved ABSTRACT When historians write about Watergate, they do not immediately think of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This dissertation argues that they should. Watergate represented a perilous moment for the FBI, as its director allowed himself to become an arm of President Richard Nixon. In turn, Nixon used his control of the FBI to frustrate its investigation into Watergate. The break-in of the Watergate Hotel in 1972 took place six weeks after the death of longtime FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover. For nearly half a century, Director Hoover remained loyal to the Bureau and held his own against eight presidents, both Democrats and Republicans. History largely remembers Hoover for his numerous indiscretions, seen in COINTELPRO, his vitriol towards Martin Luther King, Jr., and his tyrannical crusade against Communism. Towards the end of his life, Hoover was weakened by failing health, vocal critics, and President Nixon. This dissertation argues that despite Hoover’s indiscretions and the diminishment of his power, he manifested one critical strength: Hoover was apolitical and more than willing to stand up against a president's orders when he believed such orders compromised himself or his Bureau. Hoover's replacement, L. Patrick Gray, a longtime friend of Nixon, held no such qualms. During his 360-day tenure as interim director, Gray professed his loyalty to Nixon and ordered the FBI to assist with the president's reelection campaign, thwarted the FBI's investigation into Watergate (leading his Associate Director, Mark Felt, to become the Washington Post's infamous ii "Deep Throat" source), and destroyed Watergate documents seized from “Plumber” Howard Hunt's secret White House safe. This dissertation compares Hoover's directorship to that of Gray and contends that a political FBI director who blindly followed a president turned the Bureau into a state police. iii DEDICATION This work is dedicated to Matthew and Nora. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I could never have written this dissertation without the help of many people. I am deeply indebted to the wonderful individuals who encouraged and mentored me. My advisor, Dr. Ted Ownby provided thoughtful feedback and constructive criticism throughout the writing of this dissertation. It was a privilege to work under such a tremendous scholar, and I am grateful for the opportunity. I am a better writer and historian because of him. I am also grateful for the feedback provided by my readers Dr. Charles Wilson, Dr. Darren Grem, and Professor Matthew Hall. In addition to serving on my dissertation committee, all have greatly influenced my academic career. Dr. Wilson saw me through my master’s thesis; Dr. Grem coached me through comps; Professor Hall helped me find my voice in law school. I am fortunate to have received help from four giants in their fields who have held my feet to the fire and helped me become a better scholar. This dissertation would not have been possible without the help of Dr. John Elliff. I had the good fortune to find his name in Loch Johnson’s A Season of Inquiry, a book about the Church Committee. I ran an internet search on Dr. Elliff’s name and sent him an email, asking if he might have papers that I could review. He responded enthusiastically and invited me to visit him in Alexandria, Virginia. For a week, he and his wife, Linda, set me up in their dining room v and fed me an endless supply of granola bars to ease my queasy stomach in the early weeks of my pregnancy while I photographed thousands of documents. Talking to Dr. Elliff allowed me the opportunity to ask myriad questions about the FBI in the early 1970s. His influence in my understanding of the FBI is indelible. Many librarians assisted me in my research. Megan Lee and the staff at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library patiently hunted for me. While researching this dissertation, I had to narrow its scope, as I found myself overwhelmed by primary sources. My research took me to the Gerald Ford Presidential Library, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, the ACLU Archive at Princeton University, and the National Archives, where librarians helped me uncover a broad array of sources representing the political climate for the Bureau in the 1970s. Though I have yet to use those sources in my writing, I look forward to continuing my research of the FBI in the future and using those resources for further analysis. The Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI generously allowed me to solicit members for oral histories; Christopher Pyle provided insight to help me understand the military’s influence on the FBI’s surveillance. Many thanks also to John Fox, FBI Historian, who answered my many questions and helped me understand how to find unclassified historical sources about the FBI. I am grateful to the faculty and staff of the Center for Intelligence and Security Studies at the University of Mississippi. Former director and former FBI agent Carl Jensen has mentored me and influenced my decision to settle on the FBI as a research topic. No one has influenced my academic trajectory more than Carl, and I am grateful to work with him. Colleagues Carl Hill, Wesley Yates, Walter Flaschka, Mackenzie Metcalfe, Connor Hagan, Marie Barnard, and Christy Babb are dear friends who share an interest in the intelligence community. The vi thousands of hours of study and discussion about the intelligence community with them developed my understanding of the field. To the many students, whom I have taught, that work in the intelligence community and the FBI—your tenacity and service inspires me. Finally, I wish to express my heartfelt appreciation to my family for their support. My in-laws, Jerel and Carolyn Graves, have eagerly encouraged me as I have continued my academic pursuits. My parents, Andy and Nita Minshew, instilled a love for learning in me at a young age and have seen me through years of school and studying. My brothers, Matt and Michael, and my sister in law, Meribeth, provided laughs along the way. My best friend, Meaghin Burke, served as my text messaging and drinking buddy throughout grad school. Countless problems were solved (and tabled) over glasses of wine and computer memes. I am deeply grateful for my husband, Matthew. Shortly after finishing law school, I told him that I really wished I’d pursued a Ph.D. instead. Instead of responding with exasperation, he encouraged me to pursue my new dream. That conversation ignited a seven-year pursuit towards a Ph.D., and he has supported me every single step of the way. He’s cooked meals, brought me lunch, cooked me breakfast, eaten late dinners, brewed coffee, provided soul-sustaining study breaks, and served as a sounding board for my ideas. Thank you for your unending patience, your encouragement, and your love. This dissertation is as much yours as it is mine. As I worked to complete this dissertation, Nora Blythe Graves entered the world. I traveled the country, heavily pregnant, during the summer of 2015. During the day, I’d research in archives. At night, I’d go “out on the town” and shop for baby clothes. Towards the end of the summer, as her birth drew near, I felt an urgency to write. After she was born, I continued writing and editing in between feedings and during naps. In many ways, her impending birth vii inspired me to work hard in order to finish. I will always associate this dissertation with her and be grateful for the immense happiness and sense of fulfillment that her birth provided me. Nothing could have prepared me for the glorious wonder that she is. I am happy that in the midst of working on this dissertation, she served as a daily reminder of life beyond the walls of academia, and all that truly matters. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ..............................................................................................................v Introduction ..........................................................................................................................1 Chapters 1. HOOVER SABOTAGES THE HUSTON REPORT ................................................9 2. THE FBI AND THE NEW LEFT ...........................................................................51 3. THE FBI UNDER SCRUTINY ...............................................................................85 4. HOOVER'S RETIREMENT