And now, the rest of the story, courtesy of The Washington Post.
The Post has obtained previously confidential FBI files showing a close friendship between the late broadcaster Paul Harvey and the late former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. The two exchanged frequent letters throughout the 1950s and 1960s, according to the Post.
The Post says Harvey frequently sent Hoover “advance copies of his radio script for comment and approval. Harvey wrote Hoover and his deputies regularly. Hoover, in turn, helped Harvey with research, suggested changes in scripts and showered the broadcaster with effusive praise.”
The two bondered over a shared hatred of communism, the Post states. Harvey wrote to Sen. Joseph McCarthy in 1956, offering tips on “known Reds” at a Texas Air Force base. McCarthy, of course, conducted the famous hearings on supposed Communists in the federal government and entertainment industry, among other fields. The FBI protected Harvey’s identity, the Post reports.
A senior FBI official added a handwritten notation to ensure that Harvey’s letter not be distributed outside the bureau’s top brass: “No dissemination since identity of Harvey cannot be revealed.”
