discussed in Washington, authorBrian Kannard believes that Steinbeck worked for the CIA through the 1950s and '60s. Mr. Kannard collected his evidence through Freedom of Information Act requests to the Agency, as well as conversations with people close to Steinbeck, such as his son, Thomas Steinbeck.
without raising too many questions, but the author's political views made him a curious choice for a Cold War spy. In 1935, Steinbeck joined theLeague of American Writers, a group linked to Communist efforts. Thomas Steinbeck saysthe Federal Bureau of Investigation targeted his father. FBI chief J. E