Daniel Ellsberg, the U.S. military analyst who leaked the classified “Pentagon Papers,” exposing government deception during the Vietnam War, passed away at the age of 92. His family confirmed his death at his home in Kensington, California. Ellsberg, diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer in February, had been an influential figure in the fight for transparency and freedom of the press.
Early Life and Career
Daniel Ellsberg had an impressive background, earning three degrees from Harvard and serving in the Marine Corps. He worked at the Pentagon and the RAND Corporation, a prominent policy research think tank. Initially a staunch supporter of the Vietnam War, Ellsberg had a change of heart during his tour of duty in Saigon, realizing that the United States was engaged in an unwinnable conflict.
The Pentagon Papers Leak
During his time at the RAND Corporation, Ellsberg became aware of a top-secret report commissioned by Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. The 7,000-page document covered U.S. involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. Ellsberg convinced that the American public needed to know the truth about the war, began secretly copying the report, with the help of his children, at night on a rented Xerox machine.
Whistleblowing and Legal Battle
After moving to Boston to work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ellsberg held onto the copied documents for a year and a half. In June 1971, he provided portions of the Pentagon Papers to The New York Times, which published its first installment. The Nixon administration swiftly sought a court order to halt further publication, claiming executive authority and invoking the Espionage Act. Ellsberg then distributed the papers to The Washington Post and other newspapers.
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the press in the case of New York Times v. U.S., affirming the right to publish the Pentagon Papers. The documents revealed that U.S. officials believed the war was unwinnable, exposed plans for a coup in South Vietnam approved by President John F. Kennedy, and disclosed President Lyndon Johnson’s intentions to escalate the war despite campaign promises. The papers also unveiled the secret U.S. bombing campaigns in Cambodia and Laos.
Persecution and Dismissal of Charges
Following the publication of the papers, Ellsberg became the target of the Nixon administration’s efforts to discredit him. The White House “plumbers” unit, which later played a role in the Watergate scandal, was tasked with stopping further leaks and tarnishing Ellsberg’s reputation. Agents broke into the office of his psychiatrist to gather incriminating evidence.
Ellsberg and a colleague from RAND were charged with espionage, theft, and conspiracy. However, their trial in 1973 ended with a dismissal of the case due to government misconduct, specifically the break-in at the psychiatrist’s office.
Advocacy and Legacy
In his later years, Daniel Ellsberg devoted himself to writing and speaking out against government secrecy and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. He considered Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning as heroes for their efforts to expose classified information. Ellsberg authored books such as “The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner” in 2017 and “Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers” in 2002.
Ellsberg’s courageous act of whistleblowing and his relentless pursuit of government transparency had a lasting impact on American society and the freedom of the press. His legacy will be remembered as a symbol of accountability and the power of individuals to challenge and reveal government wrongdoing.
