▁Illinois ▁state ▁B PP . ▁This ▁automatically ▁made ▁him ▁a ▁national ▁B PP ▁deput y ▁chairman . ▁As ▁the ▁nation wide ▁Pan ther ▁leadership ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁dec im ated ▁by ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁F BI ' s ▁CO IN TE L PRO , ▁Ham pton ' s ▁prom in ence ▁in ▁the ▁national ▁hierarchy ▁increased ▁rapidly ▁and ▁dram atically . ▁Event ually ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁line ▁to ▁be ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁Party ' s ▁Central ▁Committee ' s ▁Chief ▁of ▁Staff . ▁He ▁would ▁have ▁achieved ▁this ▁position ▁had ▁he ▁not ▁been ▁killed ▁on ▁December ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁ ▁F BI ▁investigation ▁Ham pton ' s ▁effective ▁leadership ▁and ▁talent ▁for ▁communication ▁marked ▁him ▁as ▁a ▁major ▁threat ▁to ▁the ▁F BI . ▁It ▁began ▁keeping ▁close ▁tabs ▁on ▁his ▁activities . ▁Investig ations ▁have ▁shown ▁that ▁F BI ▁chief ▁J . ▁Ed gar ▁Ho over ▁was ▁determined ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁a ▁coh es ive ▁Black ▁movement ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Ho over ▁believed ▁the ▁Pan thers , ▁Young ▁Patri ots , ▁Young ▁L ords , ▁and ▁similar ▁radical ▁coal itions ▁Ham pton ▁for ged ▁in ▁Chicago ▁were ▁a ▁ste pping ▁stone ▁to ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁a ▁revolution ▁that ▁could ▁threaten ▁the ▁U . S . ▁government ▁and ▁society . ▁ ▁The ▁F BI ▁opened ▁a ▁file ▁on ▁Ham pton ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁It ▁t apped ▁Ham pton ' s ▁mother ' s ▁phone ▁in ▁February ▁ 1