Former Spokesman-Review reporters didn’t reveal Deep Throat

Two writers with ties to Spokane and The Spokesman-Review were working on a story that would reveal that Mark Felt was Watergate’s Deep Throat, but backed away because of his declining mental abilities.

Spokane author Jess Walter, whose third novel “Citizen Vince” was recently released, interviewed Felt at his California home more than a year ago when the former FBI agent’s family was looking for someone to help write his story.

Walter, a former Spokesman-Review reporter, said Thursday he can’t talk about the interviews because of confidentiality agreements he signed for the project.

But his publisher, Judith Regan, told Newsweek magazine this week that Felt was “in and out mentally” and admitted to being Deep Throat some days and denied it other days.

Walter was working with another former Spokesman-Review reporter, J. Todd Foster, who had been researching Watergate about three years ago while writing for People magazine. He had seen a report by a former FBI profiler on Deep Throat’s characteristics, and talked to some of the main figures in Watergate, like John Dean and Alexander Haig, before piecing together a conclusion that Deep Throat might be Felt, the former second-in-command at the FBI.

Foster contacted Felt’s son and discussed a possible story for about six months before the family would agree to it. By the time that happened, however, Foster had taken a job as managing editor of The News-Virginian in Waynesboro, Va., and couldn’t devote the time to Felt’s story. People magazine was also balking at the family’s request for money for the story, a stance that Foster supported against checkbook journalism.

Foster turned to Walter – a friend since they both covered the Ruby Ridge story for The Spokesman-Review in 1992 – about doing a book rather than a magazine article on Felt. Foster said Thursday that while Walter conducted the interviews with Felt, he received transcripts of their conversations.

He and Walter were both concerned about the different things Felt said about being or not being the anonymous background source for The Washington Post on Watergate. They concluded it would be unethical to write the book unless they could prove Felt was Deep Throat, and with his deteriorating mental state that was impossible.