W. Mark FeltBirth Chart

W. Mark Felt was a senior FBI official whose career, begun in 1942, culminated as Associate Director, the agency’s second-highest post. He served in various units and field offices, notably on counterintelligence and organized crime investigations, and also led internal inspections and the FBI Academy. His work covered key periods of the Cold War and the expansion of domestic surveillance in the United States.

In 1980 Felt was convicted of civil rights violations related to ordered home searches of suspects linked to the Weather Underground; he was fined and the conviction was later set aside on appeal. His biography also records work on espionage cases during World War II and oversight of security clearances for nuclear facilities.

Felt’s public notoriety exploded in 2005, when he revealed himself as the anonymous source nicknamed “Deep Throat,” who provided crucial information to reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein about the Watergate scandal, helping lead to President Nixon’s resignation. He published memoirs about his career and left a controversial legacy: respected for his expertise and criticized for actions that raised questions about civil liberties and the role of the security apparatus in a democracy.