For some of you, this post is probably a history lesson, for others closer to my age, it probably takes on a bit more significance.
Deep Throat from the Woodward/Bernstein – Washington Post Watergate era turns out to be the former #2 guy at the FBI: Retired Agent Mark Felt.
That’s significant on a number levels. First, J. Edgar Hoover ingrained into his top administrators to never go outside the organization with information- ever. The fact that his second in command did so speaks to the grave circumstances in which our country was engulfed. Second, there is a culture in many law enforcement circles that really ostracizes anyone who “goes outside” with information or issues. It’s easy to see why Mark Felt didn’t want to be identified as the person who provided the information to the Post. Third, these days, there is a good chance that a person in the same position would face criminal prosecution because of recent court decisions of the ability of supervisors and managers to public disclose information when forbidden to do so by superiors.
Current federal law and past court decisions make it increasingly difficult for managers and supervisors to disclose information to the public, media or to other officials without facing termination. So-called whistle-blower statutes generally do not apply to senior management officials either in the private or public sector.
The speculation has already started with respect to whether the motivation to disclose the information that ultimately brought down the President of the United States was altruistic or self-motivated revenge. I’m sure the commentary by political pundits will continue for some time.
On several occasions, I’ve referenced what I believe is of paramount importance for police administrators to keep their communities informed of issues that involve their safety and quality of life. I’ve been fortunate in my career to have always worked for honorable, respectable individuals so I’ve never been faced with the dilemma of having to go against a direct order for the sake of public safety. I know a few police chiefs and city administrators who have and faced a difficult time of it. The old saying “It’s better to be hated for doing the right thing than to be loved for doing the wrong thing” sounds sensible but when faced with the consequences of doing the right thing, it requires a solid ethical base and a commitment to be willing to risk security and a livelihood to do so. I think that Felt did the right thing.
Fortunately, our history has shown we still have individuals of character who choose the latter.