[joylyn]

Yes, it would lend credence because there WAS communist influence. King had -- naively, in my opinion -- made Levison his close advisor. There was reason to investigate.

[pjsbro]

That's not what Katzenbach said. He said RFK agreed to the tap because refusing the tap would lend credence to the allegation of communist influence.

In other words, the tap was approved because if they didn't tap MLK, people (i.e., voters) would think that Kennedy was soft on communists.

That is purely political.