#RoyCohn and #FBI Roy Cohn had a complex, multi-faceted relationship with the FBI, defined by his close ties to Director J. #EdgarHoover during the McCarthy era and later investigations by the Bureau into Cohn himself. The FBI released nearly 750 pages of documents from its file on Cohn in 2019, shedding light on the bureau’s interest in the controversial lawyer. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] J. Edgar Hoover and the McCarthy era • Hoover’s influence on Cohn’s career: Cohn first gained prominence as a prosecutor in the 1951 espionage trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. His work caught the attention of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who, impressed with Cohn’s fervent anti-communism, recommended him to Senat

#RoyCohn and  #FBI
Roy Cohn had a complex, multi-faceted relationship with the FBI, defined by his close ties to Director J.  #EdgarHoover during the McCarthy era and later investigations by the Bureau into Cohn himself. The FBI released nearly 750 pages of documents from its file on Cohn in 2019, shedding light on the bureau’s interest in the controversial lawyer. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] 
J. Edgar Hoover and the McCarthy era • Hoover’s influence on Cohn’s career: Cohn first gained prominence as a prosecutor in the 1951 espionage trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. His work caught the attention of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who, impressed with Cohn’s fervent anti-communism, recommended him to Senator Joseph McCarthy.
• A “special bond”: Cohn’s career trajectory was largely set by this recommendation. He became chief counsel to McCarthy’s Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in 1953, where the two led aggressive probes into alleged Communist subversion. Throughout this period, Cohn and Hoover maintained a mutually beneficial relationship, with their FBI files suggesting a “special bond”.
• “Lavender Scare”: Alongside their anti-communist crusade, Cohn and McCarthy drove the “Lavender Scare,” a campaign to purge homosexuals from the federal government, based on the belief that they posed a security risk. Cohn, who was a closeted homosexual himself, used rumors to silence opponents, with the campaign leading to many federal employees committing suicide.
• Blackmail allegations: According to accounts from organized crime figures, Cohn claimed to have compromising photos of Hoover, which Hoover allegedly feared could be used for blackmail. [3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11] 

FBI investigations into Cohn • Later investigations: Despite their close earlier ties, Cohn became a target of FBI scrutiny after he left Washington. The Bureau’s file contains hundreds of pages on investigations into Cohn for suspected crimes, including bribery, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice.
• The Genovese crime family: In the mid-1980s, FBI agents surveilled Cohn’s office to investigate his connection to Mafia boss Anthony “Fat Tony” Salerno, who was using Cohn’s office for business. When Cohn discovered the surveillance, he wrote to FBI Director William H. Webster, referencing his decades-long relationship with the Bureau and Hoover.
• Evidence of corruption: The investigation into Cohn’s ties to organized crime and involvement in other potentially criminal activities continued until his death in 1986. The FBI file details attempts to wiretap Cohn’s office to gather information on Salerno, confirming the Bureau’s efforts to investigate Cohn. [2, 3, 12, 13, 14] 

Cohn’s legacy and FBI files The dynamic between Cohn and the FBI reveals how he leveraged his relationship with a powerful figure like J. Edgar Hoover to build his reputation and career. The FBI records demonstrate the dark side of this connection, exposing Cohn’s ruthless tactics and the Bureau’s own surveillance of a former ally once their interests diverged. [3, 12, 15, 16] 

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1]  cnbc.com/2019/09/27/fbi-rele…
[2]  businessinsider.com/fbi-rele…
[3]  nytimes.com/2019/09/29/nyreg…
[4]  nytimes.com/2019/09/29/nyreg…
[5]  history.com/articles/roy-coh…
[6]  firstamendment.mtsu.edu/arti…
[7]  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Co…
[8]  history.com/articles/roy-coh…
[9]  history.com/articles/roy-coh…
[10]  firstamendment.mtsu.edu/arti…
[11]  firstamendment.mtsu.edu/arti…
[12]  washingtonpost.com/investiga…
[13]  nytimes.com/2019/09/29/nyreg…
[14]  nytimes.com/2019/09/29/nyreg…
[15]  ebsco.com/research-starters/…
[16]  press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books…
– Google Search  google.com/search?q=Roy+Cohn…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Oct 1, 2025