GLENN HOWELL

There was a little known, historical precursor to Watergate. In 1930 a beleaguered President Hoover was informed that a Democratic politician named O'Brien had accumulated a personal file on the President which was personally and politically damaging. Hoover, through Louis L. Strauss, turned to the Office of Naval Intelligence which conducted a "black bag job" and broke into O'Brien's office, which turned out to be empty. The files were never found, and the burglars were never caught:

There was a little known, historical precursor to Watergate. In 1930 a beleaguered President Hoover was informed that a Democratic politician named O'Brien had accumulated a personal file on the President which was personally and politically damaging. Hoover, through Louis L. Strauss, turned to the Office of Naval Intelligence which conducted a "black bag job" and broke into O'Brien's office, which turned out to be empty. The files were never found, and the burglars were never caught: