Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House Page #2

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You want to know what everybody

really thinks of you? Do you?

Competent, reliable, loyal.

- What's wrong with that?

- Nothing.

If you're a golden retriever.

Hoover's gone.

You're alone now,

holding the end of your own leash.

(TELEPHONE RINGING)

SECRETARY:
(OVER INTERCOM)

Attorney General, line one.

Dick.

Yes.

Well, I have enjoyed every day of it.

The FBI has been home to me

and my family for 30 years and...

Yes.

"A new day."

Yes, a fresh start.

It's what I would do.

Who do you have in mind?

I'm sorry. Could you repeat that? Who?

- Welcome to the FBI.

- A friendly face.

Gentlemen.

Now, Mr. Gray.

I know the bureau

has its closets and skeletons.

You can count on me to keep those doors shut.

I'll be candid with you.

I was a submarine commander in the navy.

I was father, confessor and friend

to 18-year-olds.

Did you know that?

I'm not a suspicious man by nature.

That probably makes me

a strange choice to run the FBI.

In fact, when the president called my wife

she begged me to turn him down, but...

But the president wasn't asking,

if you know what I mean.

Now, let me be candid with you, Mr. Gray.

The FBI is the most respected

institution in the world.

It is one of the two cockpits

that fly America,

and it is what it is because no one

from the outside ever got inside.

Mr. Hoover has been old, a long time.

We all know it's been you

running the FBI, Felt.

- Your reputation is stellar.

- Let me finish.

You have no law enforcement experience.

You're an outsider.

That is your battle to fight,

but I'm going to help you.

- Well, I appreciate that.

- Don't.

It's not an act of generosity.

This is about this building

and what goes on in here

and what it means to the country.

That is all I care about.

As long as you keep the FBI first,

you'll be able to count on me.

This is your office.

(DOOR OPENS)

I thought the job was yours.

What did I miss?

You and Mr. Hoover.

Don't you remember

why he said he liked you so much?

He always said

you and he had the same enemies.

That's why.

Thirty years.

Thirteen transfers.

Thirteen homes to leave.

Thirteen homes to make.

I left behind every friend I ever made.

And I kept my mouth shut,

like the perfect little FBI wife.

Until one day you wake up

and you're so different than you used to be

you can't even remember

what the point was in the first place.

Till there's just one thing left in my head.

The one idea left in my head is,

at least Mark's going to get that job.

- And that will make up for everything.

- Audrey.

They don't deserve you.

They don't deserve us.

You need to resign.

When the bureau is in better hands,

then, I'll go.

(TELEPHONE RINGS)

- What is it?

- This is getting complicated.

You better get down here.

REPORTER:
Five men wearing white gloves

and carrying cameras

were caught early today in the headquarters

of the Democratic National Committee,

in Washington.

They apparently were unarmed

and nobody knows yet

why they were even there.

MARK:
Mr. Kunkel.

Straight into the Democrat offices

in the Watergate.

Who's our spy?

ROBERT KUNKEL:
Baldwin, Alfred C.

Checked in six weeks ago.

Says he was more than just the lookout.

He says he was supposed

to listen for "girlie stuff."

Guess the Dems are having

a lot of trouble with their wives.

He say where he got his instructions?

Baldwin is one of ours.

Ex-FBI.

He worked under Bill Sullivan.

When he was in the bureau,

was he in Mr. Sullivan's group?

KUNKEL:
We think so.

MARK:
What about CIA connections?

No idea. Why?

Because 30 minutes ago

four of those burglars told a judge

they are ex-CIA.

What the hell is this?

REPORTER:
One of the most fascinating

and exotic stories

ever to come out of Washington, DC,

was the talk of the capital today.

Robert Endicott covered the story.

Democratic officials today

held a series of meetings

to talk about tighter security

at the national headquarters

here in Washington.

REPORTER 2:
The White House

has so far offered no official comment,

but a close adviser to the president,

seen here visiting China last month,

has said the president

is most concerned about the break-in

and will be keeping

a very close eye on the investigation.

Now, turning to other news...

Mr. Lano is running street on this.

2:
15, Sunday morning,

Metro finds our perps inside the

Democratic National Committee office.

We ID'd the lead. He's a pro.

Five years in the FBI, 19 in the CIA.

Then he left the CIA to run security

for the Attorney General.

Then he ran security for the White House

for the Committee to Re-elect the President.

CHARLIE BATES:
The lead burglar ran security

for the Committee to Re-elect the President?

- Is that what you said?

- MARK:
That's what he said. Keep going.

Yeah, it gets weirder.

The lookout in here, three years FBI.

Then the Attorney General recruits him

to be his wife's personal bodyguard.

Just keep going.

ANGELO LANO:
The lookout makes

a Howard Hunt the ringleader.

Hunt's also ex-CIA.

But get this,

a year ago we were asked to do

a background check

on Hunt for a government job.

- Did we clear him?

- LANO:
Yeah.

For a job at the White House

as a "consultant on highly sensitive,

confidential matters."

That's a job title?

White House, Justice and the CIA

are gonna want to know everything we know.

But we aren't going to tell them. Anything.

The Attorney General already called.

Nobody talks to the Attorney General.

- We answer to the Attorney General.

- You answer to me.

What about the director?

I'll take care of the director.

REPORTER:
There is still no explanation

why the Watergate suspects

might have attempted

to bug Democratic headquarters.

A spokesman for the Attorney General

said yesterday

that the FBI is already investigating.

Their report will be turned over to the

criminal division for appropriate...

(ELEVATOR DINGS)

John Dean, the president's counsel,

just went into the director's office.

- Let me know when he comes out.

- Yes, Mr. Felt.

SECRETARY:
(OVER INTERCOM) Mr. Dean has left.

The director's leaving in a bit to play golf.

(TELEPHONES RINGING)

What's John Dean doing here in this building?

This is a remarkable amount of information

about the break-in.

We're still gathering string.

This is just the beginning.

Okay.

First of all, there are no more interviews

with White House or CIA people

without permission.

- What?

- Whose permission?

Give us a minute.

Get out.

The FBI is an independent body.

I'm aware of that.

Are you also aware that means

we don't need permission

to do anything from anybody?

You give that up just one time,

you don't ever get it back. Ever.

Let's not get dramatic.

We don't even know what this is.

That's right. We don't.

But we're going to find out.

That's what we do.

You don't work for them.

You're the director of the FBI now.

Forty-eight hours.

We put the investigation to bed

and get on with the rest of our lives

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