Another bit of Deep Throat history and motivation

In the immediate post-Watergate period, conservatives believed that the press and liberals in Congress were targeting our intelligence and law enforcement agencies with an aim to gut them. Pike committee, Church Committee, Sy Hersh, Philip Agee, etc. etc.

The prosecution of Felt and Miller was seen as a part of that effort. As i recall, Human Events and National Review defended the FBI guys. I think some efforts were made to raise money for their defense. In addition, a lot of former and current FBI agents rallied to their side.

How would they have reacted if Felt had come forward as Deep Throat?

Felt was in a tough position. Liberals and the media loved Deep Throat but hated Hoover loyalist FBI agents. His only friends and supporters hated reporters like Woodward, the liberal papers who sponsored them, and their unnamed sources.

Side point: I really would like to know who pushed for Felt's pardon in the Reagan White House.