Nixon and his crew suspected Felt (because they mistakenly thought he was Jewish), but dismissed the idea (because they mistakenly thought he would not risk the damage to his reputation):
White House officials suspected Felt was leaking to The Post as early as October 1972. According to an account written five years ago by Chase Culeman-Beckman, who contended that Bernstein’s son had told him Felt was Deep Throat, Nixon, Haldeman and Dean were speculating about Felt during one of the sessions tape-recorded in the White House.
“Is he Catholic?” Nixon asked. Told by Haldeman that Felt was Jewish, Nixon replied, “[Expletive], [the bureau] put a Jew in there?” To which Haldeman responded, “Well that could explain it.”
Contrary to their belief, Felt is not Jewish.
On Feb. 28, 1973, Nixon and Dean again tagged Felt as the potential leaker. He was, Dean told Nixon, “the only person that knows” such details. But Nixon was skeptical. No one would risk his career to become an informant.
On Tom Tomorrow’s blog a reader suggested that Felt was Deep Throat back in February.
