I've pondered Jimmy's case the last 20 years or so… my take is that he was chosen by Zbig and the Committee of 300 for his naivete and aloofness. He was the perfect antidote to the Nixon/Ford WH, which Americans had grown weary of.
Jimmy kept the U.S. out of major armed engagements, a huge relief to most folks after the Vietnam era. He might have signed on to certain globalist ideals at conferences and such, but to the public, he acted like an isolationist. Which is what Americans have traditionally wanted.
Also, don't forget Jimmy fired GHWB from his directorship at the CIA and also sacked over 100 CIA agents. He wasn't an obvious Bush puppet the way Clinton was.
Much of what the Reagan-era public loathed Jimmy for (high gas prices, inflation, hostage crisis in Iran) was due to the machinations of the angry Bush/CIA cabal that was intent on revenge.
I don't see the FBI or the public getting terribly cross with Jimmy prior to his death. And that event may be good while off yet – he looked awfully strong for 94 yesterday. Amazing what a sober Christian life can do, especially if you've got money for good healthcare.