https://twitter.com/justinjm1/status/1008397393467990016
Today in 1972, one FBI agent made two fateful decisions that saved America. This is the story of Daniel Bledsoe, unsung hero of Watergate.
Bledsoe joined the Marines after high school. He fought at the Chosin Reservoir in Korea vs. 100,000 Chinese soldiers. As his commander Chesty Puller put it, "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things."
After the war, Bledsoe got married, graduated from college, then joined the FBI. In 1972, he was assigned to the major crimes desk in the criminal section of the General Investigative Division.
On June 17, Bledsoe was told by the supervisor there was a break-in at DNC headquarters, but police were handling it. Despite finding bugging equipment—a federal offense—the supervisor did not open a federal case. Bledsoe did.
“Up until I heard about Liddy and Hunt being involved, I thought this might be a Cuban intelligence operation directed by the KGB in Cuba,” Bledsoe later recalled.
http://www.nleomf.org/assets/pdfs/nlem/oral-histories/FBI_Bledsoe_interview.pdf
Hours later, he made the next fateful decision.
“At about 4:00 in the afternoon, my secretary answered the phone and told me, ‘It’s the White House.’”
“I picked up the phone and I said, ‘This is Agent Supervisor Dan Bledsoe. Who am I speaking with?’
“He said, ‘You are speaking with John Ehrlichman. Do you know who I am?’"
Bledsoe: “Yes. You are the chief of staff there at the White House.”
Ehrlichman: “That’s right. I have a mandate from the President of the United States. The FBI is to terminate the investigation of the break-in….”
Ehrlichman repeated himself and asked Bledsoe if he would stop the FBI.
“No,” Bledsoe responded.
“Under the constitution, the FBI is obligated to initiate an investigation to determine whether there has been a violation of the illegal interception of communications statute.”
Ehrlichman: “Do you know that you are saying ‘no’ to the President of the United States?”
I said, “Yes.”
Ehrlichman: “Bledsoe, your career is doomed. You are gone. You’re doomed.”
Ehrlichman went to prison in 1975 for conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Bledsoe retired in 1980.
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Just sayin'.
