John Edgar Hoover's Abuse of Power John Edgar Hoover, an American criminologist and government official, directed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for 48 years. Hoover was born on January 1, 1895 in Washington, D.C. After standing out among his peers, Hoover went on to study law at George Washington University. After receiving a law degree from George Washington in 1917, Hoover joined the staff of the U.S. Department of Justice where he earned $1200 a year. Two …showed first 75 words of 1503 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1503 total…know what our past presidents were thinking"(Jeffreys 66). Hoover's FBI generated curiosity, fear, and conspiracies. It obtained immense information and penetrated deeply into the private lives of millions of Americans. Hoover preserved his power by telling presidents and members of Congress that he knew of all of their offenses. Hoover's FBI blackmailed America, disrupted political movements, and violated the rights of millions of Americans. J. Edgar Hoover truly abused all of the power he possessed.