J. Edgar Hoover

1895 – 1972

J. Edgar Hoover served as director of the FBI and its predecessor for 48 years, during which he illegally surveilled and orchestrated smear campaigns against civil rights leaders, political activists, and dissidents through the covert COINTELPRO program. He maintained secret dossiers to blackmail presidents and politicians, authorized warrantless wiretaps and break-ins, and transformed the bureau into an instrument of political repression and personal vendetta.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM