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COURSES UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM GRADUATE PROGRAM FACULTY MAIN MENU |
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University of Illinois Department of Journalism |
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This portion of the University of Illinois' Department of Journalism Web site archives the preliminary findings of an investigative report conducted by Knight Chair Professor Bill Gaines and students from his investigative journalism classes.
The investigation's findings were later finalized and presented at the following link:
All information on these Web pages are for archival purposes and are no longer current.
Known facts
Sorting through the record
Class begins exercise in investigative research by documenting what's known about Deep Throat
The class project to attempt to identify "Deep Throat" involved a basic premise. The class would accept the information offered by Woodward, Bernstein and Bradlee and determine who, if anyone, fit the profile of Throat. It was a training exercise in research and organization of published information and public records.
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Certain facts from the reporters' written accounts and comments they have since made were immediately established: Throat is a living male. In 1972 and 1973, he was a high-level federal government official with an "extremely sensitive" position in the executive branch — "whose fight had been worn out in many battles" Woodward wrote.
Long before Watergate, Woodward and Throat spent many evenings discussing politics. Woodward said in 1997 he still talked with Throat.
"Deep Throat had a fear for the future of the executive branch, which he was in a unique position to observe," Woodward wrote. He had access to information from the White House, the Justice Department, the FBI and President Nixon's re-election campaign committee. He has been accused by colleagues and denied that he was Throat, Woodward said.
There is drama. Woodward and Throat had a signal. When Woodward wanted to meet with Throat, he would pull back the potted plant that was at the railing of the balcony of his apartment. When Throat wanted to meet, he would slip a note into Woodward's copy of the New York Times, which was delivered to his apartment.
Woodward and Bernstein's book publisher told them to expand on the Throat character, according to their agent, David Obst. It might appear they then went too far, which has caused many Throat researchers to throw up their hands in despair and announce that Throat is a fabrication or a composite of several sources. But Woodward and Bernstein insist Throat is all that they say. The students, in examining the limited information provided about Throat, concluded that he could be one person.
"There's more; get out your notebook," as Throat told Woodward in the movie. It was Throat who on June 19, 1972, first told Woodward that E. Howard Hunt was definitely involved in Watergate, according to their book.
Hunt was a White House consultant who had recruited and directed five men to break into Democratic Party offices and plant listening devices during Nixon's reelection campaign. Hunt's phone number was found by police in one of the burglar's notebook, but reporters did not know for sure that Hunt was a party to the break-in.
Although the tip from Throat could not be used without confirmation, that first contact about Watergate provided a clue. How many people on Monday after the Saturday morning break-in knew for sure that Hunt was involved?
There are further clues in the book and movie.
- Sunday, Sept. 17, 1972: Woodward wrote a story that was headlined, "Funds Controlled by Mitchell Aides," showing that Atty. Gen. John Mitchell had control over the campaign money used to finance the burglars. He called Throat and read him a first draft. Throat said, "Too soft; you can go much stronger." He may have called him at home, but Throat said, "Don't call again."
- Saturday, Oct. 7: Woodward was in New York when Bernstein put together a story about the involvement of Donald Segretti, a Nixon campaign worker accused of using various tricks to disrupt the campaigns of Nixon opponents. The next day, Woodward broke their rule and called Throat, who told him more about improper tactics of the Nixon campaign committee. Throat added that Segretti was part of a team of 50 campaign "dirty tricks" agents. That number was used in a Woodward and Bernstein story of Oct. 10 that showed Nixon's staff was connected to Segretti, but it was later believed to be incorrect.
- Oct. 19: Throat missed Woodward's signal. Soon after they met, and Throat confirmed the reporter's information that H.R. (Bob) Haldeman, a top-level assistant to Nixon, had a role in financing the burglars.
- Oct. 27: Woodward and Throat met in a parking garage. Throat was upset because the reporters got the Haldeman story wrong.
- Jan. 24, 1973: Throat said L. Patrick Gray, acting director of the FBI, knew that Charles Colson, chief counsel to Nixon in the White House, played an active role in the break-in.
- Feb. 25: Woodward and Throat met in a suburban Washington, D.C., trucker-type bar that Throat chose.
- April 26: Throat called Woodward at the newsroom and told him it was true that the acting director of the FBI destroyed documents connected with the break-in.
- May 16: They met in a parking garage. Throat was very abrupt and said there was electronic surveillance of reporters.
- First week of November 1973: Woodward signaled Throat, who said he knew the tapes of Nixon's conversations in the White House had missing parts.
There was another valuable clue. Throat helped Woodward as a source for a story one month before the Watergate break-in about the shooting of Alabama Gov. George Wallace, who was running for nomination for President in the Democratic primary.