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J. Edgar Hoover, Sex, and Crime: An Historical Antidote

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Academic debunking of Anthony Summers' scandalous "Official and Confidential" superbly researched and written by a noted critic of J. Edgar Hoover. Summers' bestselling volume used uncorroborated gossip and hearsay to "prove" the late FBI director was a closet homosexual and transvestite blackmailed into submission by organized crime. Theoharis, author of such previous works as "From the Secret Files of J. Edgar Hoover" and "The Boss: J. Edgar Hoover and the Great American Inquisition", sticks to the facts and uses solid scholarship to dismiss the Summers book as baseless.

If there was anything true, everybody would know it already. People who have to put up or shut up because they have gotten in the way of institutions trying to control the future of space and time get bounced around in a society that depends on reputations that can be mixed with pornography or obscene material as most evidence never gets to the history books because of the flushing nature of indoor plumbing. Deep politics has crossed state lines.

This book was written to deny the claims of Anthony Summers that Hoover dressed in women's clothes at orgies. Given that the lack of corroboration, that claim is easily refuted (p.41). Curt Gentry's book told that Hoover's real crime was filing false expense reports. Athan Theoharis argues that Hoover's disinterest is organized crime was the result of a "lack of accountability"!! Hoover was not from a wealthy and powerful family, his career depended on pleasing powerful politicians by using his personal skills and talents (p.79). Hoover was first promoted under Wilson, kept his job under Harding, Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, and then Franklin Roosevelt (who increased his powers). Hoover curried favor with powerful businessmen (p.40), and also sought information to stay in power (p.72). Hoover didn't investigate syndicated crime as long as the ruling Power Elite wanted that. Congressmen controlled the FBI budget, and Hoover got along by going along. [After the US Secret Service investigation sent a Senator and Congressman to jail, their budget was cut.] Naval Intelligence worked with organized crime during WW 2. Hoover's statement "no single individual or coalition of racketeers dominates organized crime across the nation" (p.17) is still true today; read that closely. Hoover collected scandalous news a necessary self-protection in the political jungle of Washington (p.72). If Hoover concentrated on left-wing groups rather than La Cosa Nostra he was just following orders (p.139).

Chapter One discusses the personal character of Hoover, but not his family background. The charge of homosexuality was often "used by persons who wanted to smear someone" (p.27). One example concerns three high-level aides of Nixon (pp.30-31)! Hoover wanted "sworn statements" from them denying their homosexuality; did he get them? [Any chance to forge them?] Hoover quickly suppressed such rumors (pp.34-38). Could a "sex photograph" have existed in 1946 (p.47)?[Composite photographs are possible, and actors with make-up to double for real people.] Chapter Two tells about the collecting of personal information of a sexual nature and how it was used for political purposes. [That went on with the Founding Fathers!] Prominent personalities could be controlled and political agendas could be promoted with the possession of this knowledge. [Remember one of the "Honeymooner" shows where Ralph tells Alice she is a "Mrs. J. Edgar Hoover"? What did Jackie Gleason mean?]

Chapter Three discusses the expanded Federal powers of the New Deal. [Actually, that started earlier with Prohibition.] The purpose of the New Deal was to save the Power Elite by triage of malfunctioning units (p.120). The failing economy was followed by a rising crime rate (p.121). The expansion of federal powers was presented as a moral conflict between good and evil, divorced from economic reality. Hollywood produced is melodramas (p.125). [No connection here between the end of a "well-regulated militia" and the rise of organized crime.] FDR re-assigned counter-intelligence from the US Secret Service to the FBI (pp.127-128). The FBI took an interest in politicians (p.135). FBI wiretaps immunized crime bosses from prosecution (p.141)! The justification for secret, illegal bugging practices is on page 150. The protection of organized crime by the Attorney General is on pages 151-152. Read it for yourself!

Presidents, attorneys-general, Congressmen, and others cooperated with and benefitted from J. Edgar Hoover (p.160). Was the ACLU then controlled by the FBI (p.163)? The summary on page 164 only underlines Hoover's role as an enforcer for the Power Elite.