Daniel Ellsberg, the U.S. military analyst whose sobbing anti-war epiphany on a bathroom floor in 1971 led him to leak the classified “Pentagon Papers,” revealing U.S. government deception about the war and setting off a major freedom-of-the-press battle, died on Friday at the age of 92. His family surrounded him at his home in Kensington, California, his family said in a statement. “Daniel was a seeker of truth and a patriot who stood up for what he believed in, an enduring symbol of civic courage, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend to many,” the family statement read.
The revelation of the Pentagon Papers, a multi-volume top-secret study of decision-making by four administrations regarding the Vietnam War, stunned the nation. It spurred President Nixon to attempt a historic legal trick of using the courts to stop a newspaper from publishing the document, which led to a court battle that would go to the Supreme Court and became known as one of the most significant First Amendment victories in history. It also helped bring down Nixon and end the war in Vietnam. The leaking of the papers was illegal under the Espionage Act.
When the New York Times began publishing excerpts from the papers, the federal government sued to stop them from doing so. Ellsberg came forward as the search for the leaker’s identity turned into a national guessing game. He was hailed as a hero to the antiwar movement and labeled a traitor by the war’s supporters, including National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger.
While at the Rand Corporation, an international policy think tank, Ellsberg had access to such information, including top-secret documents on nuclear weapons and war plans. During his 1971 trial on charges of violating the Espionage Act, he faced up to seven years in prison. But on the grounds of government misconduct, including an attempt to break into his psychiatrist’s office, his case was dismissed in 1973.
In the years since Ellsberg continued to work for peace and nuclear disarmament. He also spoke out about the need for transparency in government. He defended other whistleblowers, including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who disclosed details of secret surveillance programs and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
FRESH AIR’s host, Terry Gross: Daniel Ellsberg became a writer and lecturer in his later years, campaigning for greater government transparency and against nuclear weapons proliferation. He drew on his experience in government to write his 2017 book “The Doomsday Machine,” which included a top-secret document showing that the U.S. had considered launching nuclear attacks on China in 1958.
He was a man of immense intellect and sharp wit. At ninety, he still had white hair, a lined face, and hard blue eyes. He could hold his own in a debate with anyone and answered every question with a lengthy, thoughtful answer, never settling for short answers or tangents.
