Full-Throated Silence

Although several outlets have reported the finding by a class of University of Illinois journalism students that lawyer Fred Fielding was Watergate's mysterious Deep Throat, The Washington Post has yet to weigh in.

The Post's Bob Woodward is obviously in a position to confirm or deny Fielding's role, but just as obviously would never do that. Still, it would be nice to get a Post spin on the story.

Fielding was an assistant to White House lawyer John Dean back in 1972 and has held several prominent government posts since then.

Comments

[Douglas Fletcher]

I thought the deal was that Woodward/Bernstein weren’t going to reveal who it was until after the guy is dead. If Fielding is dead, wouldn’t that cut him out, since they haven’t said anything?

Or did I imagine this?

[Tuning Spork]

Doug, Fred Fielding is alive and well and currently heading some organization that studies terrorism.

But Fielding could only know what John Dean and or, possibly, what Richard Nixon knew when they knew it. “Deep Throat” was giving details about the break-in plans (and other schemes) and about the cover-up at times before Dean was aware of them. And Fielding has pubicly denied that he was Deep Throat.

But I figured out who it was years ago. Yep, sure did. And his name is Fred, too. Wanna know who Deep Throat was?

Deep Throat was **drumroll** Fred LaRue, special assistant to John Mitchell. The clincher was that D.T. gave details about a super-confidential meeting in Key Biscaine between LaRue, Mitchell and Nixon. Assuming Mitchell and Nixon weren’t talking leaves LaRue as the blabbermouth.

Now, you could argue that LaRue was maybe filling Fielding in on some details, and therefore Fielding would have been in on dope before John Dean was, but I saw LaRue being interviewed for a PBS special on Watergate in 1992, and as he discussed the effects of his role in the fiasco be actually wept. That sealed it in my mind. Here’s a guy who was so guilt-ridden that he, to my mind, would have taken the risks of exposing the cover-up.

Well, that’s my theory anyway.

[Douglas Fletcher]

So do you know if what I said about Woodward/B-stein’s intentions about revelation are true?

Sounds like you know more about all this than even Gordon Liddy. I’m kind of glad I was only 16 when all this crap was going on & it was just some entertaining background noise to a big dope smoking summer. I hate getting bogged down in details.

[Tuning Spork]

Doug, Yep. Woodward and Bernstein will reveal the identity of Deep Throat after he dies. The only other person, besides W & B who “officially” know the who DT is is Ben Bradlee, W & B’s former editor at th Washington Post.

[James Coburn]

So, Tuning Spork, does Fred LaRue match the 12 clues reported by the Illini class? Does he smoke and drink Skotch?

[David Nelson Carver]

Fred Larue resides in Biloxi, Mississippi, my hometown. I see him often. In regard to the theory of him being “Deep Throat” – true or not – Mr Larue denies Nixon either having pre-knowledge or pre-approval of Watergate.
Read his denial of Nixon’s envolvement in Biloxi’s ‘The SUN HERALD’, front page, cover story, July 31, 2003 edition.

[J]

yes im writing a paper and this whole watergate scandal and need some help. i dont really know who is right and who is wrong on this matter, but i wanna know at least what you all know. this deepthroat person needs to step up and say who he is cause he just does

[Fred LaRue]

Yeah, it was me.

Sincerely,

Fred LaRue
From the depths of Hell

[Dee]

I live in Biloxi where Fred lives, or actually, lived. He passed away Saturday, July 24th. Maybe if he was Deep Throat, now everyone will know, since the deal supposedly was, that Deep Throat would be revealed upon his death.

[E LaRue J]

Fred LaRue is my great uncle and I have known for about 48 hours that he was dead. So I just want to point how classy Doug Manion (above as Fred LaRue) is for posting the depths of hell comment. That feels nice. And I don’t know if he is Deep Throat or not, so don’t ask.