An Interesting "Detail"

A few weeks ago I sent an e-mail to the National Archives requesting details on Ben Stein's dates of employment at the White House. Stein has said on numerous occasions that he did not become a White House employee until November of 1973, and the records at the archives confirmed that he did indeed become a speechwriter for Nixon in November. However, the archivist who help me said that Stein had been "detailed" to the White House nine months earlier on March 17 1973. I sent an e-mail asking what "detailed" meant and was told that "one's salary is being paid by one entity, but you are actually assigned to work in another." She thinks that Stein was being paid by the FTC during this period, but this was just a guess.

Now for the obvious question - What was Stein doing at the White House during those nine months? The archivist didn't have any information on what duties Stein was performing, but Leonard Garment (one of Nixon's lawyers) said in his book CRAZY RHYTHM that during Spring of 1973 they brought in some "assistant U.S. attorneys" to help them with Nixon's legal defense. I think it's very likely that Stein was one of these lawyers.

If our theory is correct - if Stein was in the CRP until November of 1972 - he now has direct access to all of the information Deep Throat gave Woodward.

Bradlee Riddle Solved?

Special thanks to Alan for passing on this VERY interesting discovery.

For those of you who haven't read THE DEEP THROAT BRIEF, the Bradlee Riddle is a clue that John Dean first mentioned in his book LOST HONOR about twenty years ago. It's been one of the most talked-about clues in the mystery, but also one of the most frustrating because investigators can't agree on what direction the clue actually points. Here's the quote (from a friend of Dean's at the Washington Post) that started it all -

"Apparently Ben (Bradlee) believes that if someone looked at who had access to the information, and then looked at who was out of town on the dates in question, that alone would resolve it."

We stated in THE DEEP THROAT BRIEF that, in our opinion, Deep Throat must have been someone who wasn't normally in Washington. We think Throat was someone at the Republican CRP (Committee to Re-Elect the President) who traveled around the country conducting operations against the Democrats, much like Don Segretti. This person could have been a "mole" on McGovern's staff (and the Watergate hearings uncovered at least one named Thomas Gregory) or someone who carried out "sabotage" against the Democrats such as hiring hecklers, demonstrators, etc. Our theory is that Ben Stein worked with the CRP and met with Woodward when his travels took him to the Washington/Baltimore area. We left it there, but Alan has found something that pushes the Bradlee Riddle even farther!

Alan pointed me to a book called RIGHT FROM THE START: A Chronicle of the McGovern Campaign by Gary Hart. The McGovern campaign's day-by-day schedule from September to November 1972 is listed on the inside cover, and an interesting pattern emerges when you compare these dates to the Woodward/Deep Throat meetings. Take a look at the October dates :

McGovern Campaign Schedule - October 1972

Oct. 2 Washington DC
Oct. 2 Newark,New Jersey
Oct. 3 New York, New York
Oct. 3 Boston, Massachusetts
Oct. 3 Niagara Falls, New York
Oct. 4 Buffalo, New York
Oct. 4 New York, New York
Oct. 5 Cleveland, Ohio
Oct. 5 Chicago, Illinois
Oct. 6 Des Moines, Iowa
Oct. 6 Kansas City, Missouri
Oct. 7 St. Louis, Missouri
Oct. 7 Baltimore, Maryland

(Woodward has phone conversation with Deep Throat on Oct. 8)

Oct. 9 Washington D.C.

(Woodward meets with Deep Throat from 1:30 am to 6:00 am on Oct. 9)

Oct. 9 New York, New York
Oct. 9 Detroit, Michigan
Oct. 10 Battle Creek, Michigan
Oct. 10 Chicago, Illinois
Oct. 11 Erie, Pennsylvania
Oct. 11 Boston, Massachusetts
Oct. 12 Minneapolis, Minnesota
Oct. 12 Fargo, North Dakota
Oct. 12 Seattle, Washington
Oct. 13 Portland, Oregon
Oct. 13 San Francisco, California
Oct. 13 San Diego, California
Oct. 14 Los Angeles, California
Oct. 16 Austin, Texas
Oct. 16 Houston, Texas
Oct. 16 San Antonio, Texas
Oct. 17 Ft. Worth, Texas
Oct. 17 Washington D.C.
Oct. 18 Detroit, Michigan
Oct. 18 Cleveland, Ohio
Oct. 18 Toledo, Ohio
Oct. 19 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct. 19 New York, New York
Oct. 19 Washington D.C.

(Woodward uses flower pot signal to request meeting on Oct. 19, Deep Throat misses meeting)

Oct. 20 New York, New York
Oct. 21 Scranton, Pennsylvania
Oct. 21 Allentown, Pennsylvania
Oct. 21 Reading, Pennsylvania
Oct. 21 Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Oct. 21 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Oct. 21 Washington D.C.

(Woodward receives message in NEW YORK TIMES on Oct 21 requesting meeting, meets with Deep Throat at 3:00 am on Oct. 22)

Oct. 23 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct. 23 New York, New York
Oct. 24 Dayton, Ohio
Oct. 24 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Oct. 25 Cleveland, Ohio
Oct. 25 Detroit, Michigan
Oct. 26 Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Oct. 26 Sacramento, California
Oct. 26 Los Angeles, California

(Woodward meets with Deep Throat at 3:00 am on Oct. 27 - a day with no McGovern events, McGovern campaign returns to Washington/Baltimore area the next day-Oct. 28)

Oct. 28 San Diego, California
Oct. 28 Spokane, Washington
Oct. 28 Seattle, Washington
Oct. 28 Baltimore, Maryland
Oct. 29 Washington D.C.
Oct. 29 Hartford, Connecticut
Oct. 30 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Oct. 31 Syracuse, New York
Oct. 31 Newark, New Jersey

I can't see how this could possibly be the result of pure chance. The Woodward/DT meetings must be somehow connected to the McGovern campaign schedule! Not only does it provide a solution to the Bradlee Riddle, it also explains Barry Sussman's comment that Woodward could not count on seeing Throat at any given time. McGovern was Nixon's only rival at this point, so if Deep Throat was working for the CRP against McGovern it seems only logical that his travel schedule would mirror that of McGovern.

Also, Woodward cut short a vacation to return to Washington on Oct. 8 and meet with Deep Throat after a phone conversation with Bernstein and Sussman. This explains why he wanted to come home early. The McGovern campaign was leaving Washington the following day and Woodward wouldn't get another chance at a meeting for over a week.

Also notice that Woodward tried to signal Throat for a meeting on Oct. 19, a day when McGovern was in the Washington/Baltimore area. He probably assumed Throat would be in town as well. The meetings resume on McGovern's next stop in Washington on Oct. 21/22.

This same pattern applies for the phone calls between Throat and Woodward in September. McGovern's schedule is every bit as varied and hectic as the one above for October. His first stop in Washington is on Sept 16 and he leaves for West Virginia the next day. He doesn't come back to Washington until Sept. 26. Woodward calls Deep Throat on Sept. 16 and 17.

Congratulations, Alan. I'm convinced that when the final answer is made public, the McGovern campaign schedule is going to be a major part of the solution!

New Clue

An interesting item popped up on the radar screen in February. John Dean was quoted in the Los Angeles Times, CNN, etc. saying that Deep Throat is ill. Evidently Bob Woodward passed this news on to someone at the Washington Post and it made it's way to Dean. It's possible that the seriousness of the illness was exagerated, as gossip usually is, when it passed from person to person. However, it did start a rumor that Chief Justice Rehnquist, whose health problems have been openly discussed for months, might be Deep Throat. This is the first time Rehnquist has been a serious suspect. Oddly enough, this immediately disqualifies him as a possibility since Woodward said decades ago that Deep Throat has denied being Throat both privately and in the media.

But one reader passed on some information regarding Ben Stein that would seem to fit this new clue. Consider this:

January 11, 2005
Actor, Writer, and Political Commentator Ben Stein to Speak at SLU
Ben Stein's visit to Saint Louis University will be rescheduled due to his continued illness. Keep watching this story for updated event time and location.

Stein was first mentioned as a suspect in a TIME magazine article back in the 70s, and he has denied being Throat ever since. This gives us another clue to include in THE DEEP THROAT BRIEF (http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/617862#sw). As always, if you find a Deep Throat clue which is not addressed in the linked article please pass it on as a comment on this blog or directly to me at EJRR@aol.com. If it supports the theory that Ben Stein is Deep Throat that's great, but any clues are welcome - even if you believe it points to someone else.

Another theory making the rounds was put forth by Adrian Havill. He thinks former President Bush was Deep Throat. But we have to disqualify him for the same reason as Rehnquist - no previous accusations and no denials. Whoever Throat is, he's been on the list of suspects for a long time.

Thanks to all the folks who've helped put together THE DEEP THROAT BRIEF.

Rex