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<v Speaker 1>In the nineteen sixties, as war raged in Vietnam, an

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<v Speaker 1>inside operative leaked top secret documents that shocked the American public,

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<v Speaker 1>where his actions patriotic or treasonists. American Scandal is a

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<v Speaker 1>podcast from Wandery that explores the darker stories that have

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<v Speaker 1>shaped the United States. From the Unibomber to Bernie Madoff.

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<v Speaker 1>These are stories that revealed the underbelly of America, ruthless, secretive,

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<v Speaker 1>and power hungry. In the new season, American Scandal looks

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<v Speaker 1>at the controversial decision made by a young government official

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<v Speaker 1>named Daniel Ellsberg to leak the Pentagon Papers, the documents

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<v Speaker 1>that led Americans to demand an end to the catastrophic

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<v Speaker 1>Vietnam War. The Pentagon Papers revealed that the government knew

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<v Speaker 1>the Vietnam War could not be won, but kept fighting anyway.

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<v Speaker 1>Once Elsberg realized this terrible truth, he made the bold

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<v Speaker 1>decision to leak the documents, and the consequences altered the

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<v Speaker 1>course of American history. You're about to hear a preview

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<v Speaker 1>of American Scandal the Pentagon Papers. While you're listening. Follow

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<v Speaker 1>American Scandal on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you

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<v Speaker 1>get your podcasts.

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<v Speaker 2>It's October fourth, nineteen sixty nine, in Los Angeles, California,

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<v Speaker 2>in an office on the west side of town, Daniel

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<v Speaker 2>Ellsberg creeps through a silent corridor. The night is late

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<v Speaker 2>and by now the office is completely cleared out, so

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<v Speaker 2>Elsburg moves carefully, stalking through the hall like a burglar.

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<v Speaker 2>He can't risk being seen by a security guard. A

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<v Speaker 2>moment later, Elsberg turns a corner and arrives at a

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<v Speaker 2>small dark room. He steps in and flicks a light

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<v Speaker 2>switch and the fluorescent bulbs come flickering to life. And

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<v Speaker 2>there standing in the corner of the room is a

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<v Speaker 2>hulking Xerox copier. Ellsberg pauses. The Xerox machine seems almost

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<v Speaker 2>like something out of science fiction, something that can spit

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<v Speaker 2>out endless copies of paper documents, and that's exactly what

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<v Speaker 2>Elsberg needs right now. In his arms, it's a thick

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<v Speaker 2>blue folder labeled Vietnam Task Force. It contains a top

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<v Speaker 2>secret report that belongs to the United States government, and

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<v Speaker 2>it reveals a dark truth about the Vietnam War. The

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<v Speaker 2>government has been lying and these deceptions have caused tens

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<v Speaker 2>of thousands of deaths. Elsberg is planning to photocopy these

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<v Speaker 2>documents tonight, tomorrow night, and every night after until he

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<v Speaker 2>has copies of the entire seven thousand page report. And

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<v Speaker 2>when he's finished, he's going to release the documents to

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<v Speaker 2>the public to reveal the truth. It could land him

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<v Speaker 2>in prison for the rest of his life, but it's

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<v Speaker 2>a risk Elsberg is willing to take if it puts

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<v Speaker 2>an end to the Vietnam War. Elsberg raises the lid

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<v Speaker 2>of the Xerox machine and lays the first sheet of

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<v Speaker 2>paper on the glass surface. After hitting a few buttons,

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<v Speaker 2>a bar of light begins to scan across the glass.

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<v Speaker 2>Then the machine starts churning out the first copy page.

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<v Speaker 2>As the Xerox machine clunks and sputters, Elsberg glances around

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<v Speaker 2>the office. He knows he's lucky to be here. Few

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<v Speaker 2>Americans have access to copiers, but Elsberg has a friend

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<v Speaker 2>who works in the building, and she was generous and

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<v Speaker 2>brave enough to let him use the machine late at night.

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<v Speaker 2>The page finishes copying, and Elsburg reaches for another document.

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<v Speaker 2>Well Suddenly there's a tapping on the door. Elsburg spins

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<v Speaker 2>around finds two police officers standing in the doorway. Good evening, sir, mind,

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<v Speaker 2>telling me what's going on here? Oh, officer, you startled me.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm just doing a little work. We can see, but

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<v Speaker 2>it's a little late for work. Yeah, big week ahead.

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<v Speaker 2>The officer step forward, sir, what's your name? My name

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<v Speaker 2>Daniel Ellsberg, And you work here? Oh no, I'm sorry, officer.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't work here, but my friend does, and she

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<v Speaker 2>knows you're here at night after everyone left, completely by yourself,

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<v Speaker 2>using this company's property. Well, yeah, that's right, I'm just

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<v Speaker 2>finishing up it up a project project. There's a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of paperwork you've got there. Elsberg tries to muster a smile. Well, yes, officer,

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<v Speaker 2>it's a big project. Well would you mind if we

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<v Speaker 2>just have a look see what you're working on. One

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<v Speaker 2>of the officers steps forward, his hand outstretched. Elsberg begins

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<v Speaker 2>to panic. Right behind him is a folder with documents

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<v Speaker 2>labeled top secret. Elsberg is a military analyst who's approaching

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<v Speaker 2>the peak of his career. But if the police officer

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<v Speaker 2>see what he's up to, Elsberg's life, as he knows

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<v Speaker 2>it could be over. His eyes start left and right

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<v Speaker 2>as Elsberg searches frantically for a plan B. But right

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<v Speaker 2>as the officer reaches for the documents. A voice calls

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<v Speaker 2>out from behind them. The two policemen turn and there,

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<v Speaker 2>striding forward is Linda Sanay, Elsberg's friend and the one

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<v Speaker 2>who let him use the office. Her eyes twinkle as

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<v Speaker 2>she smiles, and Siney tells the officers that everything's okay.

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<v Speaker 2>She works with the ad agency. Elsburg's allowed to be here.

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<v Speaker 2>The officers shoot each other a suspicious look, but then

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<v Speaker 2>with quick nods, their posture softens and they take off.

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<v Speaker 2>Once they're out of sight, Elsburg nearly collapses in relief.

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<v Speaker 2>He reminds his friend that she might have just changed

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<v Speaker 2>the course of American history. She's a hero, but Sinnay

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<v Speaker 2>smiles and deflects the gratitude. She reminds Ellsberg that he's

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<v Speaker 2>the one who deserves the praise. He's taking an enormous

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<v Speaker 2>risk to help end the war. Now, Ellsberg needs to

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<v Speaker 2>get back to work. The public can't wait any longer

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<v Speaker 2>to know the truth about Vietnam. Ellsburg nods, turns back

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<v Speaker 2>to the syrax machine. She's right, they've lost enough time already.

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<v Speaker 2>You'll need to stay up throughout the night if he

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<v Speaker 2>wants to make progress copying these government files. You'll have

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<v Speaker 2>to go page by page, night after night, until the

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<v Speaker 2>job is done, and he's not going to stop, not

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<v Speaker 2>until he brings the truth to the public and ends

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<v Speaker 2>the Vietnam War. The decision to go to war is

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<v Speaker 2>one of the most consequent choices the nation's leaders can make.

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<v Speaker 2>War is risky, costly, and violent. It takes an immense

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<v Speaker 2>and lasting toll on the combatants involved, and sometimes the

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<v Speaker 2>validity of such a decision is debated. Sometimes that debate

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<v Speaker 2>is never resolved. The Vietnam War is arguably the most

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<v Speaker 2>infamous and controversial war in US history. American involvement in

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<v Speaker 2>Vietnam began as an outgrowth of its Cold War conflict

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<v Speaker 2>with the Soviet Union. At the time, Vietnam was comprised

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<v Speaker 2>of two rival halves in the North and South. South

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<v Speaker 2>Vietnam was a capitalist republic, while North Vietnam was controlled

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<v Speaker 2>by communist revolutionaries known as the Viet Kong. American leaders

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<v Speaker 2>believed that the Soviet backed Viet Kong was gaining too

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<v Speaker 2>much power. They feared that if South Vietnam fell to

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<v Speaker 2>the communists, it would accelerate the spread of communism in

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<v Speaker 2>Asia and around the globe. This fear was known as

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<v Speaker 2>the Domino effect, and to prevent it, the US joined

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<v Speaker 2>forces with the South Vietnamese. Initially, support for US involvement

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<v Speaker 2>was widespread, but that support began to dissipate in the

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<v Speaker 2>mid nineteen sixties when it appeared the war was escalating

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<v Speaker 2>with no end in sight. Many Americans wanted to know

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<v Speaker 2>why they were spending their blood and treasure, and began

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<v Speaker 2>questioning the government in unprecedented ways. One of the people

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<v Speaker 2>asking questions was Daniel Ellsberg. Elsburg was a young government

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<v Speaker 2>official helping to set US policy in Vietnam. He soon

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<v Speaker 2>discovered that US leaders were secretly escalating a war they

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<v Speaker 2>knew could not be won. As a result, thousands of

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<v Speaker 2>men were drafted every year, only to be senselessly maimed

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<v Speaker 2>or killed. Once Elsberg recognized this terrible truth, he acted

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<v Speaker 2>to expose it. He leaked documents now known as the

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<v Speaker 2>Pentagon Papers. This is episode one the Cold Warrior