FBI Suspected Irving Kristol of Soviet Ties

During the late 1980s, the father of neoconservatism—who is also the father of Fox News commentator and Weekly Standard boss Bill Kristol—was investigated by the FBI over possible contact with a suspected Soviet agent, Gawker finds in a study of FBI documents. The much-redacted documents suggest contact information for Irving Kristol, a vehement opponent of communism, appeared in the suspected Soviet agent’s notebook.

The FBI began a five-month probe, finally interviewing him using a “pretext” to protect a source. The chat seems to have satisfied the FBI that Kristol wasn’t a spy; the probe was dropped. But “it’s worth noting,” writes John Cook, that Irving’s son Bill has staunchly supported “Bush-era policies” allowing “extra-judicial detention and interrogation” of suspected terrorist helpers. “Like, maybe if their name turned up in a someone's notebook or something.” Click here to see the documents.
(More William Kristol stories.)