WOLVES AMONG US

Sources

Living Notes

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Introduction: The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing8 notes
Chapter 1: The Playbook65 notes
Chapter 2: The Shield and the Sword66 notes
Chapter 3: The Enablers67 notes
Chapter 4: The Capture71 notes
  • One night in March 2017, Sarah Edmondson was one of five women: ABC News, "Former NXIVM member says she was invited into a secret sorority, then branded," December 15, 2017, https://abcnews.com/US/nxivm-member-invited-secret-sorority-branded/story?id=51617201; Sarah Edmondson and Anthony "Nippy" Ames, "About Us," A Little Bit Culty, https://alittlebitculty.com/about
  • NXIVM (pronounced NEX-ium): Al Jazeera, "NXIVM 'cult' leader Keith Raniere jailed for 120 years," October 27, 2020, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/27/nxivm-cult-leader-keith-raniere-given-120-years-in-prison; CNN, trial-opening report, May 7, 2019, https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/05/07/us/nxivm-trial-begins-tuesday
  • The women were led in blindfolded, she later told ABC News: ABC News, "Former NXIVM member says she was invited into a secret sorority, then branded," December 15, 2017; U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, "Jury Finds NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Guilty of All Counts," June 19, 2019, https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/jury-finds-nxivm-leader-keith-raniere-guilty-all-counts
  • screamed out in pain, twisted and turned and yelled: ABC News, "Former NXIVM member says she was invited into a secret sorority, then branded," December 15, 2017
  • She had been told the symbol was Latin: ABC News, "Former NXIVM member says she was invited into a secret sorority, then branded," December 15, 2017; CNN, "The most disturbing details from the start of the Nxivm trial," May 10, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/10/us/nxivm-trial-week-1-wrap
  • I lost it when I figured that out: ABC News, "Former NXIVM member says she was invited into a secret sorority, then branded," December 15, 2017
  • On October 17, 2017, The New York Times published Barry Meier's investigation: Barry Meier, "Inside a Secretive Group Where Women Are Branded," The New York Times, October 17, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/17/nyregion/nxivm-women-branded-albany.html; EJ Dickson, "'I Was in One Mode: Protect Keith': NXIVM Member Testifies About Naked Meetings, Group Sex, Dungeon Paddlings," Rolling Stone, May 21, 2019, https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/lauren-salzman-nxivm-sex-slave-keith-raniere-testimony-trial-836547/
  • Raniere answered with a letter posted on NXIVM's website: ABC News, "Former NXIVM member says she was invited into a secret sorority, then branded," December 15, 2017; EJ Dickson, Rolling Stone, May 21, 2019
  • On March 25, 2018, police came for him at a house: EJ Dickson, "'I Was in One Mode: Protect Keith': NXIVM Member Testifies About Naked Meetings, Group Sex, Dungeon Paddlings," Rolling Stone, May 21, 2019
  • In May 2019, Raniere went on trial in federal court in Brooklyn: CNN, "The most disturbing details from the start of the Nxivm trial," May 10, 2019
  • NXIVM sold its courses through a company called Executive Success Programs: CNN, "The most disturbing details from the start of the Nxivm trial," May 10, 2019; Nina Pullano, "Sex Cult Leader Keith Raniere Given 120-Year Sentence," Courthouse News Service, October 27, 2020, https://www.courthousenews.com/sex-cult-leader-keith-raniere-given-120-year-sentence/
  • Inside NXIVM, prosecutors proved, was a secret group called DOS: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, "NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison for Racketeering and Sex Trafficking Offenses," October 27, 2020, https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/nxivm-leader-keith-raniere-sentenced-120-years-prison-racketeering-and-sex-trafficking
  • the initials of a Latin phrase that prosecutors said: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, "Founder of "NXIVM," a Purported Self-Help Organization, and Actor Indicted for Sex Trafficking and Forced Labor Conspiracy," April 20, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/founder-nxivm-purported-self-help-organization-and-actor-indicted-sex-trafficking-and
  • were the group's own terms for its ranks: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, "Founder of "NXIVM," a Purported Self-Help Organization, and Actor Indicted for Sex Trafficking and Forced Labor Conspiracy," April 20, 2018; CNN, "The most disturbing details from the start of the Nxivm trial," May 10, 2019
  • The price of admission was: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, "NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison for Racketeering and Sex Trafficking Offenses," October 27, 2020; U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, "Jury Finds NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Guilty of All Counts," June 19, 2019
  • Sylvie, a 13-year member who testified using only her first name: CNN, "The most disturbing details from the start of the Nxivm trial," May 10, 2019
  • did not survive the Times story, but the loyalty did: EJ Dickson, "'I Was in One Mode: Protect Keith': NXIVM Member Testifies About Naked Meetings, Group Sex, Dungeon Paddlings," Rolling Stone, May 21, 2019
  • On June 19, 2019, a federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Raniere: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, "Jury Finds NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Guilty of All Counts," June 19, 2019
  • Racketeering is the charge Congress created in 1970: HISTORY.com Editors, "RICO Act passed, heralding decline of the mob," HISTORY.com, This Day in History (October 15, 1970), https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-15/rico-act-passed; U.S. Department of Justice, "Criminal Resource Manual 109: RICO Charges," https://www.justice.gov/usam/criminal-resource-manual-109-rico-charges
  • a band of devotees calling itself Make Justice Blind: Rolling Stone, "NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison," October 2020, https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/nxivm-keith-raniere-sentenced-120-years-prison-sex-cult-1081419/; U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, "NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison for Racketeering and Sex Trafficking Offenses," October 27, 2020
  • Camila spoke at the sentencing on October 27, 2020: Nina Pullano, "Sex Cult Leader Keith Raniere Given 120-Year Sentence," Courthouse News Service, October 27, 2020
  • Judge Nicholas Garaufis sentenced Raniere to 120 years in prison: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, "NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison for Racketeering and Sex Trafficking Offenses," October 27, 2020; Rolling Stone, "NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison," October 2020
  • Clare Bronfman, an heir to the Seagram's liquor fortune: Will Yakowicz, "Clare Bronfman Sentenced To Nearly Seven Years In Prison For Role In Nxivm," Forbes, September 30, 2020, https://www.forbes.com/sites/willyakowicz/2020/09/30/clare-bronfman-sentenced-to-nearly-seven-years-in-prison-for-role-in-nxivm/; U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, "Jury Finds NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Guilty of All Counts," June 19, 2019
  • Actress Allison Mack, of the TV series Smallville: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, "Jury Finds NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Guilty of All Counts," June 19, 2019; Variety, "Allison Mack Sentenced to Three Years in Prison in NXIVM Sex Cult Case," June 2021, https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/allison-mack-sentenced-nxivm-keith-raniere-1235008085/; Sarah Do Couto, "Allison Mack released from prison early after serving time for NXIVM crimes," Global News, July 5, 2023, https://globalnews.ca/news/9811798/allison-mack-nxivm-crimes-released-prison-early/
  • Mack was released on July 3, 2023: Sarah Do Couto, "Allison Mack released from prison early after serving time for NXIVM crimes," Global News, July 5, 2023; "NXIVM's Bronfman released to halfway house," Albany Times Union, May 8, 2024, via PressReader, https://www.pressreader.com/usa/albany-times-union/20240508/281908778232474
  • Raniere has kept fighting: United States v. Raniere, No. 18-cr-204 (NGG), U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, April 26, 2023 (Memorandum & Order denying recusal), https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-nyed-1_18-cr-00204/pdf/USCOURTS-nyed-1_18-cr-00204-23.pdf; Nika Schoonover, "Federal judge dashes sex cult leader Keith Raniere's latest bid for new trial," Courthouse News Service, April 30, 2024, https://www.courthousenews.com/federal-judge-dashes-sex-cult-leader-keith-ranieres-latest-bid-for-new-trial/; Josh Russell, "Second Circuit upholds Keith Raniere sex cult abuse conviction," Courthouse News Service, October 27, 2025, https://www.courthousenews.com/second-circuit-upholds-keith-raniere-sex-cult-abuse-conviction/; Spectrum News, "U.S. Court of Appeals rejects NXIVM founder's appeals," October 27, 2025, https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2025/10/27/u-s--court-of-appeals-denies-nxivm-founder-a-new-trial; Nina Pullano, "NXIVM cult leader sues Bureau of Prisons over winter blackout," Courthouse News Service, July 22, 2026, https://www.courthousenews.com/nxivm-cult-leader-sues-bureau-of-prisons-over-winter-blackout/
  • In the 1950s, psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton interviewed: Robert Jay Lifton, Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of "Brainwashing" in China (W. W. Norton, 1961), ch. 22, "Ideological Totalism"
  • a list widely quoted in writing about cults ever since: The New Press, book page for Robert Jay Lifton, Losing Reality: On Cults, Cultism, and the Mindset of Political and Religious Zealotry (The New Press, 2019), https://thenewpress.org/books/losing-reality/; Joseph Szimhart, "Book Review: Losing Reality," International Cultic Studies Association, 2019, https://bookreviews.icsahome.com/book-reviews/book-review-losing-reality
  • the 1970s jungle settlement of Jim Jones's Peoples Temple: Alexander Poster, "Jonestown: An International Story of Diplomacy, Detente, and Neglect, 1973-1978," Diplomatic History, vol. 43, no. 2 (2019), reproduced by the Jonestown Institute, https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Poster-2019.pdf, p. 305
  • Lifton's first feature, milieu control: Robert Jay Lifton, Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of "Brainwashing" in China (W. W. Norton, 1961), ch. 22, "Ideological Totalism"; CNN, "The most disturbing details from the start of the Nxivm trial," May 10, 2019
  • Jonestown did it with a jungle and a loudspeaker: Affidavit of Deborah Layton Blakey, June 15, 1978, reprinted as "'The Primary Emotions Were Exhaustion and Fear,'" The Washington Post, November 21, 1978, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1978/11/21/the-primary-emotions-were-exhaustion-and-fear/c39337e0-aadf-4997-9ed4-530d88d8fdc4/
  • Lifton called this feature loading the language: Robert Jay Lifton, Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of "Brainwashing" in China (W. W. Norton, 1961), ch. 22, "Ideological Totalism"
  • Falling short of Raniere's standards was an: EJ Dickson, "'I Was in One Mode: Protect Keith': NXIVM Member Testifies About Naked Meetings, Group Sex, Dungeon Paddlings," Rolling Stone, May 21, 2019; CNN, "The most disturbing details from the start of the Nxivm trial," May 10, 2019
  • In Jonestown, an all-night crisis meeting was a: Jonestown Institute (San Diego State University), "What are White Nights? How many of them were there?," https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=35371; Fielding M. McGehee III, "Q042 Transcript," Jonestown Institute (San Diego State University), https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=29079; Jonestown Institute, "Summary of Q042, the 'Death Tape'," https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=29078
  • Lifton called this the cult of confession: Robert Jay Lifton, Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of "Brainwashing" in China (W. W. Norton, 1961), ch. 22, "Ideological Totalism"
  • Lauren Salzman testified, she wrote Raniere a seven-page letter: EJ Dickson, "'I Was in One Mode: Protect Keith': NXIVM Member Testifies About Naked Meetings, Group Sex, Dungeon Paddlings," Rolling Stone, May 21, 2019; CNN, "The most disturbing details from the start of the Nxivm trial," May 10, 2019
  • Lifton called this doctrine over person: Robert Jay Lifton, Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of "Brainwashing" in China (W. W. Norton, 1961), ch. 22, "Ideological Totalism"; CNN, "The most disturbing details from the start of the Nxivm trial," May 10, 2019
  • Sylvie told jurors that NXIVM's programs had taught her: CNN, "The most disturbing details from the start of the Nxivm trial," May 10, 2019
  • slang for obeying a leader without question: Merriam-Webster, "drink the Kool-Aid," https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drink%20the%20Kool-Aid
  • a young preacher named Jim Jones built a racially integrated church: PBS, American Experience, "Jim Jones," https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/jonestown-bio-jones; Jonestown Institute, "Jones Appointment to Indianapolis Human Rights Commission," https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=13780 (quoting Tim Reiterman with John Jacobs, Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People (Dutton, 1982), pp. 68-69)
  • In 1965, Jones moved his followers to Redwood Valley: PBS, American Experience, "The Peoples Temple in California," https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/jonestown-california; Alexander Poster, "Jonestown: An International Story of Diplomacy, Detente, and Neglect, 1973-1978," Diplomatic History, vol. 43, no. 2 (2019), reproduced by the Jonestown Institute
  • during Jimmy Carter's run for president: Britannica, "Walter Mondale," https://britannica.com/print/article/389066; Britannica, "Rosalynn Carter," https://www.britannica.com/print/article/97278; Alexander Poster, "Jonestown: An International Story of Diplomacy, Detente, and Neglect, 1973-1978," Diplomatic History, vol. 43, no. 2 (2019), reproduced by the Jonestown Institute
  • Former members later described being forced to give up: HISTORY.com Editors, "Jonestown," HISTORY.com, October 18, 2010 (updated February 27, 2025), https://www.history.com/articles/jonestown; Jonestown Institute, "'Inside Peoples Temple': The New West article by Marshall Kilduff and Phil Tracy," https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=14025 (Marshall Kilduff and Phil Tracy, "Inside Peoples Temple," New West, August 1, 1977, pp. 30-38)
  • the last rungs fell away: HISTORY.com Editors, "Jonestown," HISTORY.com, October 18, 2010 (updated February 27, 2025); Rebecca Moore, "The Demographics of Jonestown," Jonestown Institute, https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=35666
  • She was the Temple's financial secretary: Jonestown Institute, "The Defection of Deborah Layton Blakey," https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=13072; Affidavit of Deborah Layton Blakey, June 15, 1978, reprinted as "'The Primary Emotions Were Exhaustion and Fear,'" The Washington Post, November 21, 1978; Associated Press, "Woman fled Jonestown, tried in vain to alert world," Deseret News, November 15, 1998, https://www.deseret.com/1998/11/15/19412334/woman-fled-jonestown-tried-in-vain-to-alert-world/
  • In May 1978, Jones sent her to Georgetown: Associated Press, "Woman fled Jonestown, tried in vain to alert world," Deseret News, November 15, 1998; Jonestown Institute, "The Defection of Deborah Layton Blakey"
  • On June 15, 1978, she gave her lawyer an affidavit: Affidavit of Deborah Layton Blakey, June 15, 1978, reprinted as "'The Primary Emotions Were Exhaustion and Fear,'" The Washington Post, November 21, 1978
  • Afterward, Jones explained that the poison was not real: Affidavit of Deborah Layton Blakey, June 15, 1978, reprinted as "'The Primary Emotions Were Exhaustion and Fear,'" The Washington Post, November 21, 1978
  • Survivors count them differently: Jonestown Institute (San Diego State University), "What are White Nights? How many of them were there?"
  • relatives of members had organized as the Concerned Relatives: Concerned Relatives, "Accusation of Human Rights Violations by Rev. James Warren Jones Against Our Children and Relatives at the Peoples Temple Jungle Encampment in Guyana, South America," April 11, 1978, Jonestown Institute, https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=13081
  • Jones had powerful protectors in Guyana, too: Alexander Poster, "Jonestown: An International Story of Diplomacy, Detente, and Neglect, 1973-1978," Diplomatic History, vol. 43, no. 2 (2019), reproduced by the Jonestown Institute, pp. 325-326
  • the first openly gay man elected to office: NBC Bay Area, "Harvey Milk Given Highest Civilian Honor," July 30, 2009, https://nbcbayarea.com/news/local/harvey-milk-given-highest-civilian-honor-jw/1855215
  • wrote to President Jimmy Carter praising Jones: Whit Denton, "The Culture of Jim Jones: An Analysis of Reactions to the Jonestown Tragedy," Jonestown Institute, https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=80786 (quoting Harvey Milk's letter to President Jimmy Carter)
  • the Associated Press later wrote: Associated Press, "Woman fled Jonestown, tried in vain to alert world," Deseret News, November 15, 1998
  • One who did was Leo Ryan: Jonestown Institute, "Leo Ryan: How Did His Trip to Jonestown Come Together, and Why?," https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=102670; Jonestown Institute, "Who accompanied Congressman Leo Ryan on his trip to Guyana in November 1978?," https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=35350; PBS, American Experience, "November 18, 1978," https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/jonestown-nov-18-1978/
  • at the Port Kaituma airstrip, Temple members opened fire: Jonestown Institute, "How many people died on November 18?," https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=35368; PBS, American Experience, "November 18, 1978"; Rebecca Gale, "Congresswoman Left for Dead at Jonestown Recalls the Massacre, 37 Years Later," Roll Call, November 18, 2015, https://rollcall.com/2015/11/18/congresswoman-left-for-dead-at-jonestown-recalls-the-massacre-37-years-later/; Penguin Random House, author biography for Tim Reiterman, Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People, https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/304085/raven-by-tim-reiterman/
  • the FBI later catalogued the cassette as Q 042: Fielding M. McGehee III, "Q042 Transcript," Jonestown Institute (San Diego State University); Jonestown Institute, "Summary of Q042, the 'Death Tape'"
  • Then a 60-year-old former county clerk from Los Angeles: Jonestown Institute, "Christine Miller" (Who Died), https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?who_died=miller-christine; Michael Bellefountaine, "Christine Miller: A Voice of Independence," Jonestown Institute, https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=32381; Fielding M. McGehee III, "Q042 Transcript," Jonestown Institute (San Diego State University); Jonestown Institute, "Summary of Q042, the 'Death Tape'"
  • talking with Soviet diplomats about moving the community: Alexander Poster, "Jonestown: An International Story of Diplomacy, Detente, and Neglect, 1973-1978," Diplomatic History, vol. 43, no. 2 (2019), reproduced by the Jonestown Institute, pp. 305, 327-328
  • someday everybody dies," Jones answered: Fielding M. McGehee III, "Q042 Transcript," Jonestown Institute (San Diego State University)
  • I think I still have a right to my own opinion: Fielding M. McGehee III, "Q042 Transcript," Jonestown Institute (San Diego State University); Jonestown Institute, "Summary of Q042, the 'Death Tape'"; Jonestown Institute, "Christine Miller" (Who Died); Michael Bellefountaine, "Christine Miller: A Voice of Independence," Jonestown Institute
  • Temple members gave the poison to babies and young children first: PBS, American Experience, "November 18, 1978"; Jonestown Institute, "How many people died on November 18?"; Jonestown Institute, "How many children and minors died in Jonestown? What were their ages?," https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=35332
  • On the tape, Jones called it: Fielding M. McGehee III, "Q042 Transcript," Jonestown Institute (San Diego State University); Jonestown Institute, "Summary of Q042, the 'Death Tape'"; Rebecca Gale, "Congresswoman Left for Dead at Jonestown Recalls the Massacre, 37 Years Later," Roll Call, November 18, 2015
  • Layton told the Associated Press in 1998: Associated Press, "Woman fled Jonestown, tried in vain to alert world," Deseret News, November 15, 1998
  • She had pleaded guilty, and on the witness stand: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, "Jury Finds NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Guilty of All Counts," June 19, 2019; EJ Dickson, "'I Was in One Mode: Protect Keith': NXIVM Member Testifies About Naked Meetings, Group Sex, Dungeon Paddlings," Rolling Stone, May 21, 2019
  • Actress Catherine Oxenberg had introduced her daughter India: TODAY, "Catherine Oxenberg's fight to save her daughter: 'I love her to the end of the world'," https://www.today.com/parents/catherine-oxenberg-s-fight-save-her-daughter-i-love-her-t118284; Kelly Wynne, "Catherine Oxenberg Speaks on Daughter India's Release from NXIVM Cult," Newsweek, August 7, 2018, https://www.newsweek.com/catherine-oxenberg-speaks-daughter-indias-release-nxivm-cult-1061463
  • At Raniere's sentencing, India told the court: NPR, "NXIVM Cult Leader Sentenced To 120 Years In Prison," October 27, 2020, https://www.npr.org/2020/10/27/928371831/nxivm-cult-leader-sentenced-to-120-years-in-prison (quoted by NPR from The Independent); Rolling Stone, "NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison," October 2020
  • now host A Little Bit Culty, a podcast about cults: Sarah Edmondson and Anthony "Nippy" Ames, "About Us," A Little Bit Culty; Rolling Stone, "NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison," October 2020
  • Toni Natalie, a former girlfriend of Raniere's: Rolling Stone, "NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison," October 2020
  • Jackie Speier, left bleeding on the Port Kaituma airstrip: Rebecca Gale, "Congresswoman Left for Dead at Jonestown Recalls the Massacre, 37 Years Later," Roll Call, November 18, 2015; Tal Kopan and Kevin Fagan, "Jackie Speier's political career began after she survived the Jonestown massacre. Now, she's retiring from Congress," San Francisco Chronicle, 2021, https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/South-Bay-Rep-Jackie-Speier-says-she-won-t-16624823.php; Ren Larson, "'I Am Vanessa Guillén Act' revamps military investigations," Texas Tribune, December 29, 2021, https://www.texastribune.org/2021/12/29/vanessa-guillen-act-military-investigations/
  • the annual bill that sets U.S. military policy: Congressional Research Service, "FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act: Context and Selected Issues for Congress" (R47110), https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/html/trecms/AD1169518/index.html; Lolita C. Baldor, "Independent lawyers begin prosecuting cases of sexual assault and other crimes in the US military," Associated Press, December 28, 2023, https://kvia.com/news/us-world/2023/12/28/independent-lawyers-begin-prosecuting-cases-of-sexual-assault-and-other-crimes-in-the-us-military/
Chapter 5: The Moment of Choice66 notes
  • this chapter describes a massacre of civilians: PBS, American Experience, "Charlie Company and the Massacre" (My Lai timeline), https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/my-lai-charlie-company-and-massacre/; United Nations Security Council, "Report of the Independent Inquiry into the Actions of the United Nations during the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda" (S/1999/1257), December 1999, https://reliefweb.int/report/rwanda/report-independent-inquiry-actions-united-nations-during-1994-genocide-rwanda
  • Daniel Kokotajlo quit his job at OpenAI: Pascale Davies, "OpenAI changes exit contracts so employees can leave without having equity revoked," Euronews, May 20, 2024, https://www.euronews.com/next/2024/05/20/openai-changes-exit-contracts-so-employees-can-leave-without-having-equity-revoked; Tharin Pillay, "TIME100 AI 2024: Daniel Kokotajlo," TIME, September 5, 2024, https://time.com/7012881/daniel-kokotajlo/; Hayden Field, "OpenAI sends internal memo releasing former employees from controversial exit agreements," CNBC, May 23, 2024, https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/openai-sends-internal-memo-releasing-former-employees-from-non-disparagement-agreements-sam-altman.html
  • He had joined OpenAI in 2022 as a governance researcher: Tharin Pillay, "TIME100 AI 2024: Daniel Kokotajlo," TIME, September 5, 2024
  • would behave responsibly around the time of AGI: Pascale Davies, "OpenAI changes exit contracts so employees can leave without having equity revoked," Euronews, May 20, 2024
  • Kokotajlo's jar held roughly $2 million: Tharin Pillay, "TIME100 AI 2024: Daniel Kokotajlo," TIME, September 5, 2024; AI Whistleblower Initiative (AIWI), "Right to Warn and Daniel Kokotajlo," March 24, 2026, https://aiwi.org/case-studies/right-to-warn-and-daniel-kokotajlo/
  • a departure deal where if you don't sign: Kelsey Piper, "ChatGPT can talk, but OpenAI employees sure can't," Vox, May 17, 2024, https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2024/5/17/24158478/openai-departures-sam-altman-employees-chatgpt-release; Techmeme, summary of and excerpt from the Vox report, May 17, 2024, https://www.techmeme.com/240517/p20; Tharin Pillay, "Timeline of Recent Accusations Leveled at OpenAI, Sam Altman," TIME, June 7, 2024, https://time.com/6986711/openai-sam-altman-accusations-controversies-timeline/; Hayden Field, "OpenAI sends internal memo releasing former employees from controversial exit agreements," CNBC, May 23, 2024
  • My wife and I thought hard about it: Daniel Kokotajlo, post on X ("5/15"), June 4, 2024, https://x.com/DKokotajlo/status/1797994246328459731; Tharin Pillay, "Timeline of Recent Accusations Leveled at OpenAI, Sam Altman," TIME, June 7, 2024
  • 85 percent of my family's net worth at least: Cheyenne MacDonald, "Sam Altman is 'embarrassed' that OpenAI threatened to revoke equity if exiting employees wouldn't sign an NDA," Engadget, May 19, 2024, https://www.engadget.com/sam-altman-is-embarrassed-that-openai-threatened-to-revoke-equity-if-exiting-employees-wouldnt-sign-an-nda-184000462.html; Kelsey Piper, "ChatGPT can talk, but OpenAI employees sure can't," Vox, May 17, 2024 (Engadget quoting Kokotajlo as reported by Vox)
  • Vox reporter Kelsey Piper published the terms: Kelsey Piper, "ChatGPT can talk, but OpenAI employees sure can't," Vox, May 17, 2024; Techmeme, summary of and excerpt from the Vox report, May 17, 2024; Pascale Davies, "OpenAI changes exit contracts so employees can leave without having equity revoked," Euronews, May 20, 2024
  • OpenAI's chief executive, Sam Altman, posted on X: Sam Altman, post on X, May 18, 2024, https://x.com/sama/status/1791936857594581428; Cheyenne MacDonald, "Sam Altman is 'embarrassed' that OpenAI threatened to revoke equity if exiting employees wouldn't sign an NDA," Engadget, May 19, 2024; IANS, "OpenAI never clawed back any employee's vested equity: CEO Altman," The Statesman, May 20, 2024, https://www.thestatesman.com/technology/openai-never-clawed-back-any-employees-vested-equity-ceo-altman-1503301766.html; Tharin Pillay, "Timeline of Recent Accusations Leveled at OpenAI, Sam Altman," TIME, June 7, 2024
  • has not canceled, and will not cancel, any Vested Units: Hayden Field, "OpenAI sends internal memo releasing former employees from controversial exit agreements," CNBC, May 23, 2024; Shirin Ghaffary and Rachel Metz, "OpenAI Releases Former Staffers From Non-Disparagement Clauses," Bloomberg, May 23, 2024, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-24/openai-releases-former-staffers-from-nondisparagement-clauses
  • Twelve days later, on June 4, Kokotajlo: Jacob Hilton, Daniel Kokotajlo, Ramana Kumar, Neel Nanda, William Saunders, Carroll Wainwright, Daniel Ziegler and six anonymous signers, "A Right to Warn about Advanced Artificial Intelligence," June 4, 2024, https://righttowarn.ai/; Solcyré Burga, "Employees Say OpenAI and Google DeepMind Are Hiding Dangers From the Public," TIME, June 4, 2024, https://time.com/6985504/openai-google-deepmind-employees-letter/
  • proud of our track record providing the most capable: Solcyré Burga, "Employees Say OpenAI and Google DeepMind Are Hiding Dangers From the Public," TIME, June 4, 2024 (statement of OpenAI spokeswoman Lindsey Held)
  • Carl Bass, an expert at Enron's auditing firm, and Sherron Watkins, an Enron vice president, met it and spoke: See the notes to Chapter 3 and Chapter 4.
  • Hugh Thompson Jr. was 24, a former Navy heavy-equipment operator: Hugh C. Thompson Jr., "Moral Courage in Combat: The My Lai Story," William C. Stutt Ethics Lecture, Center for the Study of Professional Military Ethics, U.S. Naval Academy, fall 2003 (edited, abridged transcript), https://www.usna.edu/Ethics/_files/documents/ThompsonPg1-28_Final.pdf
  • On the morning of March 16, 1968, he was flying: Hugh C. Thompson Jr., "Moral Courage in Combat: The My Lai Story," William C. Stutt Ethics Lecture, Center for the Study of Professional Military Ethics, U.S. Naval Academy, fall 2003 (edited, abridged transcript); Rebecca Leung, "An American Hero," CBS News (60 Minutes), May 6, 2004, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/an-american-hero/; PBS, American Experience, "Charlie Company and the Massacre" (My Lai timeline); Associated Press, "My Lai Massacre Hero Thompson Dead," January 6, 2006 (published by Fox News), https://www.foxnews.com/story/my-lai-massacre-hero-thompson-dead
  • nudged her, stepped back—Pow!—put his M-16 on automatic: Hugh C. Thompson Jr., "Moral Courage in Combat: The My Lai Story," William C. Stutt Ethics Lecture, Center for the Study of Professional Military Ethics, U.S. Naval Academy, fall 2003 (edited, abridged transcript)
  • I can help them out of their misery: Hugh C. Thompson Jr., "Moral Courage in Combat: The My Lai Story," William C. Stutt Ethics Lecture, Center for the Study of Professional Military Ethics, U.S. Naval Academy, fall 2003 (edited, abridged transcript); PBS, American Experience, "Charlie Company and the Massacre" (My Lai timeline)
  • They got about 15 seconds to live: Hugh C. Thompson Jr., "Moral Courage in Combat: The My Lai Story," William C. Stutt Ethics Lecture, Center for the Study of Professional Military Ethics, U.S. Naval Academy, fall 2003 (edited, abridged transcript); PBS, American Experience, "Charlie Company and the Massacre" (My Lai timeline)
  • his pistol still in its holster: Hugh C. Thompson Jr., "Moral Courage in Combat: The My Lai Story," William C. Stutt Ethics Lecture, Center for the Study of Professional Military Ethics, U.S. Naval Academy, fall 2003 (edited, abridged transcript); Rebecca Leung, "An American Hero," CBS News (60 Minutes), May 6, 2004
  • Thompson radioed one of the gunships escorting him: Hugh C. Thompson Jr., "Moral Courage in Combat: The My Lai Story," William C. Stutt Ethics Lecture, Center for the Study of Professional Military Ethics, U.S. Naval Academy, fall 2003 (edited, abridged transcript)
  • spend the rest of your life at Leavenworth: Hugh C. Thompson Jr., "Moral Courage in Combat: The My Lai Story," William C. Stutt Ethics Lecture, Center for the Study of Professional Military Ethics, U.S. Naval Academy, fall 2003 (edited, abridged transcript)
  • resulted in an order for the cease fire: Hugh C. Thompson Jr., "Moral Courage in Combat: The My Lai Story," William C. Stutt Ethics Lecture, Center for the Study of Professional Military Ethics, U.S. Naval Academy, fall 2003 (edited, abridged transcript) (Soldier's Medal citation as read at the lecture)
  • Army investigators eventually counted 347 dead: PBS, American Experience, "Charlie Company and the Massacre" (My Lai timeline); Hugh C. Thompson Jr., "Moral Courage in Combat: The My Lai Story," William C. Stutt Ethics Lecture, Center for the Study of Professional Military Ethics, U.S. Naval Academy, fall 2003 (edited, abridged transcript); Chevel Johnson (Associated Press), "Lawrence Colburn dies; helped end Vietnam's My Lai massacre," Air Force Times, December 16, 2016, https://www.airforcetimes.com/veterans/2016/12/16/lawrence-colburn-dies-helped-end-vietnam-s-my-lai-massacre/
  • On March 22, the officer in charge: PBS, American Experience, "Charlie Company and the Massacre" (My Lai timeline)
  • Ronald Ridenhour heard the story from men who had: PBS, American Experience, "Charlie Company and the Massacre" (My Lai timeline); PBS, American Experience, "Selected Men Involved in My Lai," https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/my-lai-selected-men-involved-my-lai; Associated Press, "My Lai Massacre Hero Thompson Dead," January 6, 2006 (published by Fox News); Hugh C. Thompson Jr., "Moral Courage in Combat: The My Lai Story," William C. Stutt Ethics Lecture, Center for the Study of Professional Military Ethics, U.S. Naval Academy, fall 2003 (edited, abridged transcript)
  • Twenty-five Americans were criminally charged: Quil Lawrence, "William L. Calley Jr., convicted in the My Lai massacre, dies at 80," NPR, August 1, 2024, https://www.npr.org/2024/08/01/nx-s1-5057512/william-l-calley-jr-convicted-in-the-my-lai-massacre-dies-at-80; PBS, American Experience, "Charlie Company and the Massacre" (My Lai timeline)
  • The company commander, Captain Ernest Medina, faced charges: Homer Bigart, "Medina Found Not Guilty of All Charges on Mylai," The New York Times, September 23, 1971, reproduced by Digital History, University of Houston, https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/active_learning/explorations/vietnam/medina_notguilty.cfm; PBS, American Experience, "Selected Men Involved in My Lai"
  • In 1970 he testified to a House committee: Rebecca Leung, "An American Hero," CBS News (60 Minutes), May 6, 2004; Hugh C. Thompson Jr., "Moral Courage in Combat: The My Lai Story," William C. Stutt Ethics Lecture, Center for the Study of Professional Military Ethics, U.S. Naval Academy, fall 2003 (edited, abridged transcript); Associated Press, "My Lai Massacre Hero Thompson Dead," January 6, 2006 (published by Fox News)
  • death threats over the phone: Rebecca Leung, "An American Hero," CBS News (60 Minutes), May 6, 2004
  • On March 6, 1998, the Army awarded Thompson: Hugh C. Thompson Jr., "Moral Courage in Combat: The My Lai Story," William C. Stutt Ethics Lecture, Center for the Study of Professional Military Ethics, U.S. Naval Academy, fall 2003 (edited, abridged transcript); Associated Press, "My Lai Massacre Hero Thompson Dead," January 6, 2006 (published by Fox News)
  • Thompson and Colburn returned to My Lai: Rebecca Leung, "An American Hero," CBS News (60 Minutes), May 6, 2004; Hugh C. Thompson Jr., "Moral Courage in Combat: The My Lai Story," William C. Stutt Ethics Lecture, Center for the Study of Professional Military Ethics, U.S. Naval Academy, fall 2003 (edited, abridged transcript)
  • He spent his last years lecturing future officers: Rebecca Leung, "An American Hero," CBS News (60 Minutes), May 6, 2004; Associated Press, "My Lai Massacre Hero Thompson Dead," January 6, 2006 (published by Fox News); Hugh C. Thompson Jr., "Moral Courage in Combat: The My Lai Story," William C. Stutt Ethics Lecture, Center for the Study of Professional Military Ethics, U.S. Naval Academy, fall 2003 (edited, abridged transcript)
  • He died on January 6, 2006, at 62: Associated Press, "My Lai Massacre Hero Thompson Dead," January 6, 2006 (published by Fox News); Chevel Johnson (Associated Press), "Lawrence Colburn dies; helped end Vietnam's My Lai massacre," Air Force Times, December 16, 2016
  • Rwanda is a small country with a Hutu majority: United Nations, Outreach Programme on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, "Historical background," https://www.un.org/en/preventgenocide/rwanda/historical-background.shtml; Laura Neilson Bonikowsky, "Roméo Dallaire," The Canadian Encyclopedia, April 3, 2008 (last edited December 20, 2021), https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/romeo-dallaire
  • Dallaire's officers met an informant from the Interahamwe: Human Rights Watch, Leave None to Tell the Story: Genocide in Rwanda, chapter "Warnings," March 1999, https://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/rwanda/Geno4-7-01.htm; Human Rights Watch, Leave None to Tell the Story: Genocide in Rwanda, chapter "The Genocide," March 1999, https://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/rwanda/Geno1-3-02.htm; Code cable, Dallaire (UNAMIR, Kigali) to Maj. Gen. Baril (DPKO, UN New York), "Request for Protection of Informant," January 11, 1994, published by PBS Frontline, "The Triumph of Evil," https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/evil/warning/cable.html; Emily Willard, "The Rwanda 'Genocide Fax' Deconstructed," UNREDACTED (National Security Archive blog), January 9, 2014, https://unredacted.com/2014/01/09/genocidefaxdeconstructed/
  • scattered in groups of 40 throughout Kigali: Code cable, Dallaire (UNAMIR, Kigali) to Maj. Gen. Baril (DPKO, UN New York), "Request for Protection of Informant," January 11, 1994, published by PBS Frontline, "The Triumph of Evil"
  • cache of "at least 135 weapons": Code cable, Dallaire (UNAMIR, Kigali) to Maj. Gen. Baril (DPKO, UN New York), "Request for Protection of Informant," January 11, 1994, published by PBS Frontline, "The Triumph of Evil," (paras. 8, 9 and 11)
  • I sent it and I went to bed: PBS Frontline, "Ghosts of Rwanda," interview with Gen. Roméo Dallaire (conducted fall 2003), https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ghosts/interviews/dallaire.html
  • went out over the name of Kofi Annan: Outgoing code cable, Annan (UN New York) to Booh-Booh and Dallaire (UNAMIR), "Contacts with Informant," January 11, 1994, published by PBS Frontline, "The Triumph of Evil," https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/evil/warning/unresponse.html; Human Rights Watch, Leave None to Tell the Story: Genocide in Rwanda, chapter "Warnings," March 1999
  • the overriding consideration is the need to avoid: Outgoing code cable, Annan (UN New York) to Booh-Booh and Dallaire (UNAMIR), "Contacts with Informant," January 11, 1994, published by PBS Frontline, "The Triumph of Evil," (para. 8)
  • I was swearing to beat the band: PBS Frontline, "Ghosts of Rwanda," interview with Gen. Roméo Dallaire (conducted fall 2003); United Nations Security Council, "Report of the Independent Inquiry into the Actions of the United Nations during the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda" (S/1999/1257), December 1999
  • The informant was not entirely reliable: Emily Willard, "The Rwanda 'Genocide Fax' Deconstructed," UNREDACTED (National Security Archive blog), January 9, 2014 (Dobbs quote as given by NSArchive)
  • a plane carrying President Habyarimana was shot down: Human Rights Watch, Leave None to Tell the Story: Genocide in Rwanda, chapter "The Genocide," March 1999; United Nations, Outreach Programme on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, "Historical background"
  • Ten Belgian peacekeepers were killed: Human Rights Watch, Leave None to Tell the Story: Genocide in Rwanda, chapter "The Genocide," March 1999; United Nations Security Council, "Report of the Independent Inquiry into the Actions of the United Nations during the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda" (S/1999/1257), December 1999; Code cable, Dallaire (UNAMIR, Kigali) to Maj. Gen. Baril (DPKO, UN New York), "Request for Protection of Informant," January 11, 1994, published by PBS Frontline, "The Triumph of Evil"
  • His Ghanaian deputy, Henry Anyidoho, told him: PBS Frontline, "Ghosts of Rwanda," interview with Gen. Roméo Dallaire (conducted fall 2003)
  • The killing went on until July 4, 1994: United Nations, Outreach Programme on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, "Historical background"; United Nations Security Council, "Report of the Independent Inquiry into the Actions of the United Nations during the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda" (S/1999/1257), December 1999; UN News, "At UN, memorial conference on Rwandan genocide considers lessons for future," March 26, 2004, https://news.un.org/en/story/2004/03/98512
  • Dallaire went home and wrote: Laura Neilson Bonikowsky, "Roméo Dallaire," The Canadian Encyclopedia, April 3, 2008 (last edited December 20, 2021); PBS Frontline, "Ghosts of Rwanda," interview with Gen. Roméo Dallaire (conducted fall 2003)
  • the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, "Introduction to the Holocaust," Holocaust Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/introduction-to-the-holocaust; United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, "The White Rose Opposition Movement," Holocaust Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/white-rose
  • a medical student named Hans Scholl founded: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, "The White Rose Opposition Movement," Holocaust Encyclopedia; Thomas Jander, "Leaflets against Dictatorship – The 'White Rose' and 18 February 1943," DHM Journal (Deutsches Historisches Museum), February 19, 2018, https://www.dhm.de/journal/en/post/leaflets-against-dictatorship-the-white-rose-and-18-february-1943
  • Sent that summer to the Eastern Front: Thomas Jander, "Leaflets against Dictatorship – The 'White Rose' and 18 February 1943," DHM Journal (Deutsches Historisches Museum), February 19, 2018; Widely documented: The Eastern Front as Germany's war against the Soviet Union.
  • The sixth leaflet, written on February 12, 1943: Thomas Jander, "Leaflets against Dictatorship – The 'White Rose' and 18 February 1943," DHM Journal (Deutsches Historisches Museum), February 19, 2018; Weiße Rose Stiftung (White Rose Foundation), "VI. Leaflet of the White Rose," English translation, https://www.weisse-rose-stiftung.de/white-rose-resistance-group/leaflets-of-the-white-rose/vi-leaflet-of-the-white-rose/
  • On February 18, 1943, Hans and Sophie carried: Thomas Jander, "Leaflets against Dictatorship – The 'White Rose' and 18 February 1943," DHM Journal (Deutsches Historisches Museum), February 19, 2018; United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, "The White Rose Opposition Movement," Holocaust Encyclopedia
  • roared denunciations of the accused: Jacob G. Hornberger, "The White Rose: A Lesson in Dissent," Jewish Virtual Library (originally The Future of Freedom Foundation), https://jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-white-rose-a-lesson-in-dissent (quoting Richard Hanser, A Noble Treason, 1979); Thomas Jander, "Leaflets against Dictatorship – The 'White Rose' and 18 February 1943," DHM Journal (Deutsches Historisches Museum), February 19, 2018
  • executed at Stadelheim prison that same day: Thomas Jander, "Leaflets against Dictatorship – The 'White Rose' and 18 February 1943," DHM Journal (Deutsches Historisches Museum), February 19, 2018; Jacob G. Hornberger, "The White Rose: A Lesson in Dissent," Jewish Virtual Library (originally The Future of Freedom Foundation) (quoting Richard Hanser, A Noble Treason, 1979)
  • British bombers dropped more than five million leaflets: Thomas Jander, "Leaflets against Dictatorship – The 'White Rose' and 18 February 1943," DHM Journal (Deutsches Historisches Museum), February 19, 2018; Jacob G. Hornberger, "The White Rose: A Lesson in Dissent," Jewish Virtual Library (originally The Future of Freedom Foundation) (quoting Richard Hanser, A Noble Treason, 1979)
  • His warning never reached the Security Council: United Nations Security Council, "Report of the Independent Inquiry into the Actions of the United Nations during the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda" (S/1999/1257), December 1999; Outgoing code cable, Annan (UN New York) to Booh-Booh and Dallaire (UNAMIR), "Contacts with Informant," January 11, 1994, published by PBS Frontline, "The Triumph of Evil"
  • Sophie Scholl named the problem at her trial: Jacob G. Hornberger, "The White Rose: A Lesson in Dissent," Jewish Virtual Library (originally The Future of Freedom Foundation) (quoting Richard Hanser, A Noble Treason, 1979)
  • she studied 323 mass campaigns against governments: Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan, Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict (Columbia University Press, 2011); Erica Chenoweth, "Questions, Answers, and Some Cautionary Updates Regarding the 3.5% Rule," Carr Center Discussion Paper, Harvard Kennedy School, April 2020, https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/carr/publications/questions-answers-and-some-cautionary-updates-regarding-35-rule; Erica Chenoweth, "The Future of Nonviolent Resistance," Journal of Democracy 31, no. 3 (July 2020), https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/the-future-of-nonviolent-resistance-2/
  • a descriptive statistic based on a sample: Erica Chenoweth, "Questions, Answers, and Some Cautionary Updates Regarding the 3.5% Rule," Carr Center Discussion Paper, Harvard Kennedy School, April 2020; Erica Chenoweth, "The Future of Nonviolent Resistance," Journal of Democracy 31, no. 3 (July 2020)
  • stopped feeling like "the only one": Josephine Hamilton, testimony before the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, Human Impact hearing, February 14, 2022 (transcript INQ00001044, sworn), https://www.postofficehorizoninquiry.org.uk/hearings/human-impact-hearing-14-february-2022; see also the notes to the Introduction.
  • Archbishop Óscar Romero spoke out against human rights abuses: United Nations, "International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims," https://www.un.org/en/observances/right-to-truth-day
  • Yeah idk whether the sacrifice was worth it: Daniel Kokotajlo, comments on "simeon_c's Shortform," LessWrong, May 2024 (May 11, 2024 per AIWI), https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/kovCotfpTFWFXaxwi/simeon_c-s-shortform; AI Whistleblower Initiative (AIWI), "Right to Warn and Daniel Kokotajlo," March 24, 2026; Hayden Field, "OpenAI sends internal memo releasing former employees from controversial exit agreements," CNBC, May 23, 2024
  • He now leads the AI Futures Project: AI Whistleblower Initiative (AIWI), "Right to Warn and Daniel Kokotajlo," March 24, 2026; Daniel Kokotajlo, Scott Alexander, Thomas Larsen, Eli Lifland and Romeo Dean, "AI 2027," April 3, 2025, https://ai-2027.com/; Tharin Pillay, "TIME100 AI 2024: Daniel Kokotajlo," TIME, September 5, 2024
  • Purdue Pharma, the OxyContin maker we met in Chapter 3: U.S. Department of Justice, "Justice Department Announces Resolution of Criminal and Civil Investigations into McKinsey & Company's Work with Purdue Pharma L.P.," December 13, 2024; see also the notes to Chapter 3.
  • California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a state law: Office of Senator Scott Wiener, "Governor Newsom Signs Senator Wiener's Landmark AI Law To Set Commonsense Guardrails, Boost Innovation," September 29, 2025, https://sd11.senate.ca.gov/news/governor-newsom-signs-senator-wieners-landmark-ai-law-set-commonsense-guardrails-boost; Harry Booth, "How California's New SB 53 AI Law Protects Whistleblowers," TIME, October 8, 2025, https://time.com/7324105/ai-whistleblower-act-sb-53/; White & Case, "California enacts landmark AI transparency law: The Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act," November 5, 2025, https://www.whitecase.com/insight-alert/california-enacts-landmark-ai-transparency-law-transparency-frontier-artificial
Chapter 6: Why the Wolves Win45 notes
Chapter 7: The Fortress Paradox86 notes
Chapter 8: The Information War65 notes
Chapter 9: The Wolf in Your Feed68 notes
Chapter 10: Resistance Is Infrastructure64 notes
Chapter 11: How Wolves Fall63 notes
  • On the evening of Wednesday, March 8, 2023: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, "Review of the Federal Reserve's Supervision and Regulation of Silicon Valley Bank" (section "Evolution of Silicon Valley Bank"), April 2023, https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/2023-April-SVB-Evolution-of-Silicon-Valley-Bank.htm; Ramishah Maruf and Allison Morrow, "How does a bank collapse in 48 hours? A timeline of the SVB fall," CNN, March 11, 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/11/business/svb-bank-collapse-explainer-timeline/
  • Its assets rose 271 percent from the end: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, "Review of the Federal Reserve's Supervision and Regulation of Silicon Valley Bank" (section "Evolution of Silicon Valley Bank"), April 2023
  • sold $21 billion of its bond investments: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, "Review of the Federal Reserve's Supervision and Regulation of Silicon Valley Bank" (section "Evolution of Silicon Valley Bank"), April 2023
  • In 2022, the Federal Reserve, the U.S. central bank, raised interest rates quickly: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, "Review of the Federal Reserve's Supervision and Regulation of Silicon Valley Bank" (Executive Summary), April 2023, https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/2023-April-SVB-Executive-Summary.htm; Widely documented: Federal Reserve rate increases of 2022.
  • $42 billion in deposits were withdrawn from SVB in 10 hours: Max Reyes and Bloomberg, "Ex-CEO of Silicon Valley Bank's parent blames its collapse partly on 'rumors and misconceptions' spread through social media," Fortune, May 15, 2023, https://fortune.com/2023/05/15/svb-bank-collapse-ceo-greg-becker-social-media (quoting Becker's prepared testimony for the Senate Banking Committee hearing of May 16, 2023)
  • concentrated network of venture capital investors and technology firms: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, "Review of the Federal Reserve's Supervision and Regulation of Silicon Valley Bank" (section "Evolution of Silicon Valley Bank"), April 2023
  • California's banking regulator closed SVB: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, "Review of the Federal Reserve's Supervision and Regulation of Silicon Valley Bank" (section "Evolution of Silicon Valley Bank"), April 2023; Widely documented: FDIC standard deposit insurance limit of $250,000.
  • second-largest bank failure in U.S. history at that time: Ramishah Maruf and Allison Morrow, "How does a bank collapse in 48 hours? A timeline of the SVB fall," CNN, March 11, 2023
  • About 94 percent of SVB's deposits were above it: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, "Review of the Federal Reserve's Supervision and Regulation of Silicon Valley Bank" (section "Evolution of Silicon Valley Bank"), April 2023
  • Depositors will have access to all of their money: U.S. Department of the Treasury, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and FDIC, "Joint Statement by Treasury, Federal Reserve, and FDIC," March 12, 2023, https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20230312b.htm
  • Nobody at SVB has been charged with a crime: Evan Weinberger, "Ex-SVB Executives Must Face FDIC Lawsuit Over Bank's Failure," Bloomberg Law, October 24, 2025, https://news.bloomberglaw.com/banking-law/ex-svb-executives-must-face-fdic-suit-over-banks-failure; Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check (lead counsel), "Silicon Valley Bank (SVB)" case page, viewed October 5, 2026, https://www.ktmc.com/featured-case/silicon-valley-bank-svb/
  • "Two ways," he answers. "Gradually and then suddenly.": Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises (Scribner, 1926), chapter 13
  • On April 28, 2023, seven weeks after the failure: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, "Federal Reserve Board announces the results from the review of the supervision and regulation of Silicon Valley Bank, led by Vice Chair for Supervision Barr" (press release), April 28, 2023, https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/bcreg20230428a.htm
  • Silicon Valley Bank's board of directors and management failed: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, "Review of the Federal Reserve's Supervision and Regulation of Silicon Valley Bank" (Executive Summary), April 2023; Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, "Review of the Federal Reserve's Supervision and Regulation of Silicon Valley Bank" (section "Evolution of Silicon Valley Bank"), April 2023
  • Supervisors did not fully appreciate the extent: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, "Review of the Federal Reserve's Supervision and Regulation of Silicon Valley Bank" (Executive Summary), April 2023
  • about triple the number observed at peer firms: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, "Review of the Federal Reserve's Supervision and Regulation of Silicon Valley Bank" (Executive Summary), April 2023
  • It raised the size at which banks faced the toughest oversight: CNN, "The facts on Trump's 2018 loosening of regulations on banks like SVB," March 14, 2023, via KTVZ, https://ktvz.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2023/03/14/the-facts-on-trumps-2018-loosening-of-regulations-on-banks-like-svb-2/
  • stifle our ability to provide credit: CNN, "The facts on Trump's 2018 loosening of regulations on banks like SVB," March 14, 2023, via KTVZ
  • "impeded effective supervision.": Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, "Review of the Federal Reserve's Supervision and Regulation of Silicon Valley Bank" (Executive Summary), April 2023
  • Experts still disagree about whether the old rules: CNN, "The facts on Trump's 2018 loosening of regulations on banks like SVB," March 14, 2023, via KTVZ
  • "rumors and misconceptions" spread online: Max Reyes and Bloomberg, "Ex-CEO of Silicon Valley Bank's parent blames its collapse partly on 'rumors and misconceptions' spread through social media," Fortune, May 15, 2023 (quoting Becker's prepared testimony for the Senate Banking Committee hearing of May 16, 2023)
  • In January 2025, the FDIC sued Becker: Rajashree Chakravarty, "FDIC sues 17 ex-SVB executives in alleged gross negligence," Banking Dive, January 17, 2025, https://www.bankingdive.com/news/fdic-sues-17-ex-svb-executives-in-alleged-gross-negligence/737712/; Kevin LaCroix, D&O Diary, January 2025, https://www.dandodiary.com/2025/01/articles/banks/fdic-files-liability-action-against-former-svb-executives/
  • In October 2025, a federal judge in California refused: Evan Weinberger, "Ex-SVB Executives Must Face FDIC Lawsuit Over Bank's Failure," Bloomberg Law, October 24, 2025, https://news.bgov.com/banking-law/ex-svb-executives-must-face-fdic-suit-over-banks-failure
  • survived a request to dismiss it in June 2025: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check (lead counsel), "Silicon Valley Bank (SVB)" case page, viewed October 5, 2026
  • Elizabeth Holmes founded the company in 2003: Bobby Allyn, "Theranos whistleblower celebrated Elizabeth Holmes verdict by popping champagne," NPR, January 5, 2022, via WUSF, https://www.wusf.org/2022-01-05/theranos-whistleblower-celebrated-elizabeth-holmes-verdict-by-popping-champagne; John Carreyrou, Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup (Knopf, 2018)
  • By 2014 the private company was valued: Claire Groden, "WSJ report: Theranos is struggling with its blood test technology," Fortune, October 15, 2015, https://fortune.com/2015/10/15/theranos-blood-tests-wsj/; John Carreyrou, "Hot Startup Theranos Has Struggled With Its Blood-Test Technology," The Wall Street Journal, October 15, 2015
  • George Shultz, a former U.S. secretary of state: Bobby Allyn, "Theranos whistleblower celebrated Elizabeth Holmes verdict by popping champagne," NPR, January 5, 2022, via WUSF
  • In 2013 it teamed up with Walgreens: Amirah Al Idrus, "Walgreens sues Theranos for $140M," FierceBiotech, November 9, 2016, https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medical-devices/walgreens-sues-theranos-for-140m
  • Investors poured in more than $700 million: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, "Theranos, CEO Holmes, and Former President Balwani Charged With Massive Fraud" (Press Release 2018-41), March 14, 2018, https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2018-41
  • 2014 revenue was just over $100,000: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, "Theranos, CEO Holmes, and Former President Balwani Charged With Massive Fraud" (Press Release 2018-41), March 14, 2018
  • who was also, for years, Holmes's romantic partner: "Former Theranos COO Sunny Balwani sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison," CNBC, December 7, 2022, https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/07/former-theranos-coo-sunny-ramesh-balwani-sentenced-for-fraud.html
  • It was clear that there was an open secret: Bobby Allyn, "Theranos whistleblower celebrated Elizabeth Holmes verdict by popping champagne," NPR, January 5, 2022, via WUSF
  • Erika Cheung joined at 22: STAT, "From protégée to whistleblower: A former Theranos scientist says Elizabeth Holmes should come forward and apologize," May 1, 2019, https://www.statnews.com/2019/05/01/from-protegee-to-whistleblower-a-former-theranos-scientist-says-elizabeth-holmes-should-come-forward-and-apologize/
  • about the same luck flipping a coin: "Former Theranos employee Erika Cheung: Edison machines failed tests," CNBC, September 15, 2021, https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/15/former-theranos-employee-erika-cheung-edison-machines-failed-tests.html
  • delete up to two out of six data points: Sara Ashley O'Brien, "Former Theranos lab worker details concerns about company's ability to conduct blood tests," CNN Business, September 15, 2021, via KTVZ, https://ktvz.com/lifestyle/technology/cnn-social-media-technology/2021/09/15/former-theranos-lab-worker-details-concerns-about-companys-ability-to-conduct-blood-tests/
  • what makes you think you're qualified to make these calls: "Former Theranos employee Erika Cheung: Edison machines failed tests," CNBC, September 15, 2021
  • Shultz contacted New York state health regulators: Bobby Allyn, "Theranos whistleblower celebrated Elizabeth Holmes verdict by popping champagne," NPR, January 5, 2022, via WUSF; Sara Ashley O'Brien, "Former Theranos lab worker details concerns about company's ability to conduct blood tests," CNN Business, September 15, 2021, via KTVZ
  • On June 23, 2015, a Theranos delegation: Chris Roush, "When Theranos threatened the WSJ with a lawsuit," Talking Biz News, May 2, 2016, https://talkingbiznews.com/they-talk-biz-news/when-theranos-threatened-the-wsj-with-a-lawsuit/ (summarizing Nick Bilton, Vanity Fair, 2016); Carreyrou remarks reported in "When pursuing investigative pieces, Wall Street Journal reporter suggests getting legal advice early," Association of Health Care Journalists, May 2018, https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2018/05/when-pursuing-investigative-pieces-wall-street-journal-reporter-suggests-getting-legal-advice-early/
  • Theranos spent more than $150,000 on a private investigator: Sara Ashley O'Brien, "Former Theranos lab worker details concerns about company's ability to conduct blood tests," CNN Business, September 15, 2021, via KTVZ
  • my sources are also being followed and threatened: Chris Roush, "How Theranos threatened some of the WSJ's sources," Talking Biz News, October 9, 2018, https://talkingbiznews.com/they-talk-biz-news/how-theranos-threatened-some-of-the-wsjs-sources/ (quoting Carreyrou's interview with Chief Executive)
  • only 15 of the more than 240 tests: Claire Groden, "WSJ report: Theranos is struggling with its blood test technology," Fortune, October 15, 2015; John Carreyrou, "Hot Startup Theranos Has Struggled With Its Blood-Test Technology," The Wall Street Journal, October 15, 2015
  • factually and scientifically erroneous: Claire Groden, "WSJ report: Theranos is struggling with its blood test technology," Fortune, October 15, 2015; John Carreyrou, "Hot Startup Theranos Has Struggled With Its Blood-Test Technology," The Wall Street Journal, October 15, 2015; Fast Company, "It's worth remembering how Theranos first responded to the WSJ's exposé," March 2018, https://www.fastcompany.com/40544465/its-worth-remembering-how-theranos-first-responded-to-the-wsjs-expose
  • First they think you're crazy, then they fight you: Fast Company, "It's worth remembering how Theranos first responded to the WSJ's exposé," March 2018
  • staff joined in a chant aimed at Carreyrou: Fast Company, "It's worth remembering how Theranos first responded to the WSJ's exposé," March 2018; John Carreyrou, Bad Blood (Knopf, 2018)
  • In January 2016, CMS inspectors reported: Healthcare Innovation, "CMS Imposes Sanctions on Diagnostics Company Theranos," July 8, 2016, https://www.hcinnovationgroup.com/policy-value-based-care/news/13027130/cms-imposes-sanctions-on-diagnostics-company-theranos
  • Theranos voided two years of results: Amirah Al Idrus, "Walgreens sues Theranos for $140M," FierceBiotech, November 9, 2016
  • in July regulators revoked the lab's license: Healthcare Innovation, "CMS Imposes Sanctions on Diagnostics Company Theranos," July 8, 2016; Amirah Al Idrus, "Walgreens sues Theranos for $140M," FierceBiotech, November 9, 2016
  • Walgreens sued for $140 million: Amirah Al Idrus, "Walgreens sues Theranos for $140M," FierceBiotech, November 9, 2016; Amirah Al Idrus, "Theranos, Walgreens call it quits on $140M lawsuit," FierceBiotech, August 2, 2017, https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/theranos-walgreens-call-it-quits-140m-lawsuit
  • In March 2018, the SEC charged Holmes: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, "Theranos, CEO Holmes, and Former President Balwani Charged With Massive Fraud" (Press Release 2018-41), March 14, 2018
  • That June, federal prosecutors charged Holmes and Balwani: Associated Press, "Elizabeth Holmes Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Prison for Theranos Scam," WTTW News, November 18, 2022, https://news.wttw.com/node/42203; Widely documented: indictment June 15, 2018; Theranos dissolved September 2018.
  • On January 3, 2022, a jury in San Jose convicted Holmes: Associated Press, "Elizabeth Holmes Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Prison for Theranos Scam," WTTW News, November 18, 2022
  • decisions were made by Elizabeth Holmes: "Former Theranos COO Sunny Balwani sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison," CNBC, December 7, 2022
  • I am responsible for everything at Theranos: "Former Theranos COO Sunny Balwani sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison," CNBC, December 7, 2022
  • Judge Edward Davila sentenced Holmes to 135 months: Reuters, "Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes sentenced to over 11 years in prison for fraud," Global News, November 18, 2022, https://globalnews.ca/news/9291035/theranos-elizabeth-holmes-sentenced-11-years-prison/; Associated Press, "Elizabeth Holmes Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Prison for Theranos Scam," WTTW News, November 18, 2022
  • I have felt deep shame for what people went through: Reuters, "Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes sentenced to over 11 years in prison for fraud," Global News, November 18, 2022
  • sentenced Balwani to 155 months: "Former Theranos COO Sunny Balwani sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison," CNBC, December 7, 2022
  • In February 2025, a federal appeals court upheld: Susan Nash, "'Half-truths and outright lies': Court upholds convictions of Theranos CEO Holmes, partner," Bay City News via Local News Matters, February 26, 2025, https://localnewsmatters.org/2025/02/26/half-truths-and-outright-lies-court-upholds-convictions-of-theranos-ceo-holmes-partner/; Cooley LLP, "Ninth Circuit Affirms Convictions and $452 Million Restitution for Theranos' Holmes and Balwani," February 26, 2025, https://www.cooley.com/news/coverage/2025/2025-02-26-ninth-circuit-affirms-convictions-and-452-million-restitution-for-theranos-holmes-and-balwani
  • As of September 2026, Holmes was in a minimum-security: Mary Roeloffs, "Elizabeth Holmes Set To Be Released To Halfway House Next Summer," Forbes, September 24, 2026, https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/09/24/elizabeth-holmes-set-to-be-released-to-halfway-house-next-summer/; ABC News, "Elizabeth Holmes asks Trump administration to commute her prison sentence," January 2026, https://abcnews.com/US/elizabeth-holmes-asks-trump-administration-commute-prison-sentence/story?id=129434633
  • Balwani began serving his sentence in April 2023: KTVU (AP), "Ex-Theranos executive headed to prison after losing appeal," April 2023, https://www.ktvu.com/news/ex-theranos-executive-headed-to-prison-after-losing-appeal; Balwani v. United States, No. 25-1330, Supreme Court of the United States, docket (petition filed May 21, 2026; petition denied October 5, 2026), https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/25-1330.html
  • He eventually acknowledged that Tyler "did the right thing,": Bobby Allyn, "Theranos whistleblower celebrated Elizabeth Holmes verdict by popping champagne," NPR, January 5, 2022, via WUSF; Widely documented: George Shultz died February 6, 2021.
  • In 2019, Erika Cheung co-founded Ethics in Entrepreneurship: STAT, "From protégée to whistleblower: A former Theranos scientist says Elizabeth Holmes should come forward and apologize," May 1, 2019; "Former Theranos employee Erika Cheung: Edison machines failed tests," CNBC, September 15, 2021; Erika Cheung, personal website, "Projects" (Ethical Crossroads, "formerly Ethics in Entrepreneurship"), https://www.erikacheung.com/
  • It would have been easier to quietly quit: Bobby Allyn, "Theranos whistleblower celebrated Elizabeth Holmes verdict by popping champagne," NPR, January 5, 2022, via WUSF
  • In February 2024, a federal judge in Arizona: Elise Reuter, "Walgreens to pay $44M to settle claims over fraudulent Theranos tests," MedTech Dive, September 8, 2023, https://www.medtechdive.com/news/walgreens-settle-class-action-lawsuit-theranos-tests/693065/; Mealey's, "Arizona Federal Judge Grants Final Approval In Theranos Suit Against Walmart [sic: Walgreens]," February 15, 2024, https://www.mealeys.com/mealeys/articles/1803249/arizona-federal-judge-grants-final-approval-in-theranos-suit-against-walmart
Chapter 12: The Price of Truth47 notes
Chapter 13: One Law, Five Leakers99 notes
  • the main island of the Northern Mariana Islands: U.S. Department of Justice, "WikiLeaks Founder Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Conspiring to Obtain and Disclose Classified National Defense Information," June 25, 2024, https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/wikileaks-founder-pleads-guilty-and-sentenced-conspiring-obtain-and-disclose-classified; Naina Rao and Carrie Johnson, "WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is free, ending years-long legal saga," NPR (via Georgia Public Broadcasting), June 25, 2024 (updated June 27, 2024), https://www.gpb.org/node/1144201
  • said they brought the case to Saipan: Max Corstorphan, "Julian Assange sentence: United States Pacific Territory judge tells WikiLeaks founder he is a 'free man'," The Nightly, June 26, 2024, https://swtimes.com.au/politics/julian-assange-sentence-united-states-pacific-territory-court-accepts-wikileaks-founders-guilty-plea-c-15147375; Associated Press, "WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange returns to Australia a free man after US legal battle ends," June 26, 2024 (via The Himalayan Times), https://thehimalayantimes.com/world/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-returns-to-australia-a-free-man-after-us-legal-battle-ends
  • he had been held in Belmarsh, a high-security prison: Naina Rao and Carrie Johnson, "WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is free, ending years-long legal saga," NPR (via Georgia Public Broadcasting), June 25, 2024 (updated June 27, 2024); U.S. Department of Justice, "WikiLeaks Founder Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Conspiring to Obtain and Disclose Classified National Defense Information," June 25, 2024
  • he had lived inside Ecuador's embassy in London: Naina Rao and Carrie Johnson, "WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is free, ending years-long legal saga," NPR (via Georgia Public Broadcasting), June 25, 2024 (updated June 27, 2024); Al Jazeera, "Julian Assange rape investigation dropped in Sweden," November 19, 2019, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/19/julian-assange-rape-investigation-dropped-in-sweden
  • The charge was a single count of conspiring: U.S. Department of Justice, "WikiLeaks Founder Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Conspiring to Obtain and Disclose Classified National Defense Information," June 25, 2024; Naina Rao and Carrie Johnson, "WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is free, ending years-long legal saga," NPR (via Georgia Public Broadcasting), June 25, 2024 (updated June 27, 2024)
  • Working as a journalist, I encouraged my source: Naina Rao and Carrie Johnson, "WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is free, ending years-long legal saga," NPR (via Georgia Public Broadcasting), June 25, 2024 (updated June 27, 2024); Max Corstorphan, "Julian Assange sentence: United States Pacific Territory judge tells WikiLeaks founder he is a 'free man'," The Nightly, June 26, 2024
  • journalists, religious leaders, human rights advocates, and political dissidents: U.S. Department of Justice, "WikiLeaks Founder Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Conspiring to Obtain and Disclose Classified National Defense Information," June 25, 2024
  • Chief Judge Ramona Manglona sentenced him: Naina Rao and Carrie Johnson, "WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is free, ending years-long legal saga," NPR (via Georgia Public Broadcasting), June 25, 2024 (updated June 27, 2024); Max Corstorphan, "Julian Assange sentence: United States Pacific Territory judge tells WikiLeaks founder he is a 'free man'," The Nightly, June 26, 2024; U.S. Department of Justice, "WikiLeaks Founder Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Conspiring to Obtain and Disclose Classified National Defense Information," June 25, 2024
  • Assange raised his right fist as he stepped off: Associated Press, "WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange returns to Australia a free man after US legal battle ends," June 26, 2024 (via The Himalayan Times)
  • began more than half a century earlier, with a defense analyst: National Archives, "Pentagon Papers," https://www.archives.gov/research/pentagon-papers
  • The Espionage Act, passed in 1917: Juliana Kim, "Sen. Rand Paul wants to repeal the Espionage Act amid an investigation into Trump," NPR (via GBH News), August 15, 2022, https://wgbh.org/news/national/2022-08-15/sen-rand-paul-wants-to-repeal-the-espionage-act-amid-an-investigation-into-trump
  • the law does not explicitly care about public interest: Juliana Kim, "Sen. Rand Paul wants to repeal the Espionage Act amid an investigation into Trump," NPR (via GBH News), August 15, 2022 (quoting law professor Heidi Kitrosser)
  • Daniel Ellsberg was a former analyst at RAND and at the Pentagon: Douglas O. Linder, "The Pentagon Papers (Daniel Ellsberg) Trial: An Account," Famous Trials, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, https://famous-trials.com/ellsberg/273-home
  • Defense Secretary Robert McNamara had commissioned a secret history: National Archives, "Pentagon Papers"
  • It ran to about 7,000 pages in 47 volumes: Douglas O. Linder, "The Pentagon Papers (Daniel Ellsberg) Trial: An Account," Famous Trials, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law; National Archives, "Pentagon Papers"
  • successive presidents had deceived the public about the war: Jessica A. Botelho, "Daniel Ellsberg, whistleblower who disclosed Pentagon Papers, dies at age 92," The National Desk (via KOMO News), June 16, 2023, https://komonews.com/news/nation-world/daniel-ellsberg-who-disclosed-pentagon-papers-dies-at-age-92-government-consultant-military-analyst-politics-vietnam-war-american-lies-pancreatic-cancer
  • systematically lied, not only to the public but also to Congress: R. W. Apple Jr., "25 Years Later; Lessons From the Pentagon Papers," The New York Times, June 23, 1996 (quoted in CounterPunch, "Lessons Not Learned from the Pentagon Papers," March 1, 2023, https://www.counterpunch.org/2023/03/01/lessons-not-learned-from-the-pentagon-papers/)
  • In late 1969 he and a former RAND colleague: Douglas O. Linder, "The Pentagon Papers (Daniel Ellsberg) Trial: An Account," Famous Trials, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law; Daniel Ellsberg, Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers (Viking, 2002)
  • For more than a year he tried to get senators: Douglas O. Linder, "The Pentagon Papers (Daniel Ellsberg) Trial: An Account," Famous Trials, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law
  • On March 2, 1971, he met Neil Sheehan: Douglas O. Linder, "The Pentagon Papers (Daniel Ellsberg) Trial: An Account," Famous Trials, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law
  • began publishing on June 13, 1971: Douglas O. Linder, "The Pentagon Papers (Daniel Ellsberg) Trial: An Account," Famous Trials, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law; Federal Judicial Center, "The Pentagon Papers," Federal Trials and Great Debates in United States History, https://www.fjc.gov/sites/default/files/trials/Pentagon%20Papers%20Student%20Handout.pdf
  • Ellsberg, now hiding from the FBI, kept passing copies: POV (PBS), "Film Description," The Most Dangerous Man in America, https://www.archive.pov.org/mostdangerousman/film-description/; Douglas O. Linder, "The Pentagon Papers (Daniel Ellsberg) Trial: An Account," Famous Trials
  • listed 11 items he said would cause: National Security Archive, "The Pentagon Papers: Secrets, Lies and Audiotapes," Electronic Briefing Book No. 48, George Washington University, https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB48/supreme.html (quoting Erwin N. Griswold's secret brief, 1971, and Griswold, "Secrets Not Worth Keeping," Washington Post, February 15, 1989)
  • the Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 for the newspapers: New York Times Co. v. United States, 403 U.S. 713 (1971); Douglas O. Linder, "The Pentagon Papers (Daniel Ellsberg) Trial: An Account," Famous Trials, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law
  • Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose: New York Times Co. v. United States, 403 U.S. 713 (1971) (Black, J., concurring)
  • possible sentence of more than a century: Douglas O. Linder, "The Pentagon Papers (Daniel Ellsberg) Trial: An Account," Famous Trials, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law; POV (PBS), "Film Description," The Most Dangerous Man in America
  • led by G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt: Douglas O. Linder, "The Pentagon Papers (Daniel Ellsberg) Trial: An Account," Famous Trials, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law; Widely documented: Watergate and Nixon's 1974 resignation.
  • On May 11, 1973, Judge William Matthew Byrne Jr: Douglas O. Linder, "The Pentagon Papers (Daniel Ellsberg) Trial: An Account," Famous Trials, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law
  • I have never seen any trace of a threat: National Security Archive, "The Pentagon Papers: Secrets, Lies and Audiotapes," Electronic Briefing Book No. 48, George Washington University (quoting Erwin N. Griswold's secret brief, 1971, and Griswold, "Secrets Not Worth Keeping," Washington Post, February 15, 1989)
  • don't go through channels: Seth Stern, "Stop distorting Daniel Ellsberg's legacy to disparage other whistleblowers," Freedom of the Press Foundation, June 22, 2023, https://freedom.press/news/stop-distorting-daniel-ellsbergs-legacy-to-disparage-other-whistleblowers/
  • He died on June 16, 2023: Jessica A. Botelho, "Daniel Ellsberg, whistleblower who disclosed Pentagon Papers, dies at age 92," The National Desk (via KOMO News), June 16, 2023
  • Chelsea Manning was an Army intelligence analyst stationed in Iraq: NPR, The Two-Way, "President Obama Commutes Chelsea Manning's Prison Sentence," January 17, 2017, https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/17/510307055/president-obama-commutes-chelsea-mannings-prison-sentence; CBC News, "Video shows U.S. attack that killed 2 news staff," April 5, 2010, https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/video-shows-u-s-attack-that-killed-2-news-staff-1.951396
  • she gave more than 700,000 government documents to WikiLeaks: JURIST, "Wikileaks defendant sentenced to 35 years for espionage," August 21, 2013, https://www.jurist.org/news/2013/08/wikileaks-defendant-sentenced-to-35-years-for-espionage/; NPR, The Two-Way, "President Obama Commutes Chelsea Manning's Prison Sentence," January 17, 2017
  • about 90,000 reports from the war in Afghanistan: Eduard Kovacs, "Assange Charged With 17 New Counts Under Espionage Act," SecurityWeek, May 24, 2019, https://www.securityweek.com/assange-charged-17-new-counts-under-espionage-act
  • On April 5, 2010, WikiLeaks published 17 minutes: CBC News, "Video shows U.S. attack that killed 2 news staff," April 5, 2010
  • Namir Noor-Eldeen, 22, and his driver: CBC News, "Video shows U.S. attack that killed 2 news staff," April 5, 2010
  • conformed to its rules of engagement: CBC News, "Video shows U.S. attack that killed 2 news staff," April 5, 2010
  • He was not a whistleblower, he was a traitor: Luis Martinez, "Prosecution Calls Bradley Manning an Anarchist and Traitor," ABC News, July 26, 2013, https://abcnews.com/blogs/politics/2013/07/prosecution-calls-bradley-manning-an-anarchist-and-traitor
  • raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan: ABC News, "Prosecution Calls Bradley Manning an Anarchist and Traitor," July 2013
  • Colonel Denise Lind, acquitted Manning: JURIST, "Wikileaks defendant sentenced to 35 years for espionage," August 21, 2013
  • On August 21, 2013, Lind sentenced Manning: JURIST, "Wikileaks defendant sentenced to 35 years for espionage," August 21, 2013
  • long stretches in solitary confinement: NPR, The Two-Way, "President Obama Commutes Chelsea Manning's Prison Sentence," January 17, 2017
  • President Barack Obama commuted her sentence: NPR, The Two-Way, "President Obama Commutes Chelsea Manning's Prison Sentence," January 17, 2017; Ed Pilkington et al., "Chelsea Manning's prison sentence commuted by Barack Obama," The Guardian, January 17, 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/17/chelsea-manning-sentence-commuted-barack-obama
  • House Speaker Paul Ryan called it: NPR, The Two-Way, "President Obama Commutes Chelsea Manning's Prison Sentence," January 17, 2017
  • This move could quite literally save Chelsea's life: NPR, The Two-Way, "President Obama Commutes Chelsea Manning's Prison Sentence," January 17, 2017
  • an effort to frighten journalists and publishers: CBS News, "Chelsea Manning ordered released from prison, fined $256,000," March 12, 2020, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chelsea-manning-ordered-released-from-prison-fined-256000-today-2020-03-12
  • Ellsberg called her "my hero.": Seth Stern, "Stop distorting Daniel Ellsberg's legacy to disparage other whistleblowers," Freedom of the Press Foundation, June 22, 2023
  • on March 12, 2013, Senator Ron Wyden: PolitiFact, "James Clapper's testimony one year later," March 11, 2014, https://www.politifact.com/article/2014/mar/11/james-clappers-testimony-one-year-later/
  • He was a 29-year-old contractor: Al Jazeera, "Ex-CIA worker exposed US spy programme," June 10, 2013, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2013/6/10/ex-cia-worker-exposed-us-spy-programme; Rob Picheta, Uliana Pavlova and Chris Liakos, "Vladimir Putin grants former NSA contractor Edward Snowden Russian citizenship," CNN, September 26, 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/26/europe/edward-snowden-russian-citizenship-putin-intl/index.html
  • who met him there and reported: PRI The World, "Edward Snowden may be stuck in Russia after passport canceled, says Wikileaks," June 26, 2013, https://theworld.org/stories/2013/06/26/edward-snowden-may-be-stuck-russia-after-passport-canceled-says-wikileaks; Glenn Greenwald, Ewen MacAskill and Laura Poitras, "Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind the NSA surveillance revelations," The Guardian, June 9, 2013, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/09/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveillance
  • collecting records of Americans' phone calls from Verizon: Will Dunham (Reuters), "Federal prosecutors charge Edward Snowden over NSA leaks," Christian Science Monitor, June 21, 2013, https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2013/0621/Federal-prosecutors-charge-Edward-Snowden-over-NSA-leaks
  • My response was clearly erroneous: PolitiFact, "James Clapper's testimony one year later," March 11, 2014
  • charged Snowden with espionage and theft of government property: Will Dunham (Reuters), "Federal prosecutors charge Edward Snowden over NSA leaks," Christian Science Monitor, June 21, 2013; Rob Picheta, Uliana Pavlova and Chris Liakos, "Vladimir Putin grants former NSA contractor Edward Snowden Russian citizenship," CNN, September 26, 2022
  • Together the charges carried up to 30 years: Rob Picheta, Uliana Pavlova and Chris Liakos, "Vladimir Putin grants former NSA contractor Edward Snowden Russian citizenship," CNN, September 26, 2022
  • revoked his passport before he left Hong Kong: PRI The World, "Edward Snowden may be stuck in Russia after passport canceled, says Wikileaks," June 26, 2013
  • tremendous damage to national security: NPR, The Two-Way, "House Intel Panel: Edward Snowden Was No Whistleblower," September 15, 2016, https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/15/494157921/house-intel-panel-edward-snowden-was-no-whistleblower
  • not a whistleblower but a disgruntled employee: NPR, The Two-Way, "House Intel Panel: Edward Snowden Was No Whistleblower," September 15, 2016
  • After three years of investigation and millions: Sean D. Carberry, "Lawmakers: Snowden a fabricator, not a whistleblower," FCW/Nextgov, December 23, 2016, https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2016/12/lawmakers-snowden-a-fabricator-not-a-whistleblower/220406/
  • In May 2015, a federal appeals court in New York: ACLU v. Clapper, 785 F.3d 787 (2d Cir. May 7, 2015)
  • Congress passed the USA FREEDOM Act: USA FREEDOM Act of 2015, Pub. L. No. 114-23 (June 2, 2015), https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/PLAW-114publ23
  • In September 2020, a federal appeals court ruled: United States v. Moalin, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, September 2, 2020, as reported in Lawfare, "Metadata Collection Violated FISA, Ninth Circuit Rules," https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/metadata-collection-violated-fisa-ninth-circuit-rules
  • such an impression was not consistent: United States v. Moalin, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, September 2, 2020, as reported in Lawfare, "Metadata Collection Violated FISA, Ninth Circuit Rules"
  • In a Quinnipiac University poll in July 2013: Quinnipiac University Poll, "U.S. Voters Say Snowden Is Whistle-Blower, Not Traitor, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds," July 10, 2013, https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=1919
  • President Vladimir Putin granted Snowden Russian citizenship: Rob Picheta, Uliana Pavlova and Chris Liakos, "Vladimir Putin grants former NSA contractor Edward Snowden Russian citizenship," CNN, September 26, 2022
  • the one thing the government has refused to guarantee: Theo Burman, "Will Donald Trump Pardon Edward Snowden? What We Know," Newsweek, February 12, 2025, https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-pardon-edward-snowden-2029918
  • As of October 2026, he still lived in Russia: MEAWW, "Fact Check: Will Trump pardon Edward Snowden as part of his 'America 250' initiative?," July 2, 2026, https://news.meaww.com/fact-check-will-trump-pardon-edward-snowden-as-part-of-his-america-250-initiative; Lynsey Eidell, "Where Is Edward Snowden Now?," CRBC News, June 14, 2026, https://www.crbcnews.com/articles/6a2eaa79c671edeed07ee6f4
  • Snowden took about 1.5 million documents: NPR, The Two-Way, "House Intel Panel: Edward Snowden Was No Whistleblower," September 15, 2016
  • Reality Winner was 25, a former Air Force translator: CBS News, "Reality Winner, who pleaded guilty to leaking secret U.S. report, gets 63-month sentence," August 23, 2018, https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/reality-winner-sentenced-pleaded-guilty-to-leaking-secret-u-s-report-today-2018-08-23; Tessa Stuart, "'Bitter,' 'Angry,' 'Enraged': Reality Winner Blasts the Intercept After 4 Years in Jail," Rolling Stone, November 24, 2021, https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/reality-winner-interview-prison-nsa-1261844/
  • Russian efforts to break into a U.S. voting-software supplier: CBS News, "Reality Winner, who pleaded guilty to leaking secret U.S. report, gets 63-month sentence," August 23, 2018; Matthew Cole, Richard Esposito, Sam Biddle and Ryan Grim, "Top-Secret NSA Report Details Russian Hacking Effort Days Before 2016 Election," The Intercept, June 5, 2017, https://theintercept.com/2017/06/05/top-secret-nsa-report-details-russian-hacking-effort-days-before-2016-election/
  • which published a story based on it in June 2017: Matthew Cole, Richard Esposito, Sam Biddle and Ryan Grim, "Top-Secret NSA Report Details Russian Hacking Effort Days Before 2016 Election," The Intercept, June 5, 2017
  • a telltale crease in it: Tessa Stuart, "'Bitter,' 'Angry,' 'Enraged': Reality Winner Blasts the Intercept After 4 Years in Jail," Rolling Stone, November 24, 2021
  • We made errors in the course of verifying: Tessa Stuart, "'Bitter,' 'Angry,' 'Enraged': Reality Winner Blasts the Intercept After 4 Years in Jail," Rolling Stone, November 24, 2021
  • She pleaded guilty in June 2018: CBS News, "Reality Winner, who pleaded guilty to leaking secret U.S. report, gets 63-month sentence," August 23, 2018
  • the longest sentence served by a federal defendant: CBS News, "Reality Winner, who pleaded guilty to leaking secret U.S. report, gets 63-month sentence," August 23, 2018; NPR, "Reality Winner Sentenced To 5 Years, 3 Months For Leaking Classified Info," August 23, 2018, https://www.npr.org/2018/08/23/641229886/reality-winner-sentenced-to-5-years-3-months-for-leaking-classified-info
  • charged more people for leaks to the media: Juliana Kim, "Sen. Rand Paul wants to repeal the Espionage Act amid an investigation into Trump," NPR (via GBH News), August 15, 2022
  • She left prison in June 2021: Tessa Stuart, "'Bitter,' 'Angry,' 'Enraged': Reality Winner Blasts the Intercept After 4 Years in Jail," Rolling Stone, November 24, 2021
  • something more towards the middle: David Martin Davies, "There have been films about Reality Winner. Now the whistleblower tells her own story," NPR (via WAMC), September 17, 2025, https://www.wamc.org/2025-09-17/there-have-been-films-about-reality-winner-now-the-whistleblower-tells-her-own-story
  • sexual-offense allegations made against Assange by two women, which he has always denied: The Canadian Press, "Sweden drops Assange rape investigation after 9 years," November 2019 (via CFJC Today), https://cfjctoday.com/2019/11/21/sweden-drops-assange-rape-investigation-after-9-years/; Al Jazeera, "Julian Assange rape investigation dropped in Sweden," November 19, 2019
  • In November 2019 Sweden dropped the investigation: Al Jazeera, "Julian Assange rape investigation dropped in Sweden," November 19, 2019
  • British police removed Assange from the embassy: Al Jazeera, "Julian Assange rape investigation dropped in Sweden," November 19, 2019; Eduard Kovacs, "Assange Charged With 17 New Counts Under Espionage Act," SecurityWeek, May 24, 2019
  • On May 23, 2019, prosecutors added 17 counts: Eduard Kovacs, "Assange Charged With 17 New Counts Under Espionage Act," SecurityWeek, May 24, 2019
  • the charges carried a possible 175 years in prison: Pan Pylas, "Pentagon Papers leaker comes to the defense of Assange," Associated Press, September 16, 2020 (via News4Jax), https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2020/09/16/pentagon-papers-leaker-comes-to-the-defense-of-assange/
  • Julian Assange is no journalist: Eduard Kovacs, "Assange Charged With 17 New Counts Under Espionage Act," SecurityWeek, May 24, 2019
  • create precedent for charging journalists: Naina Rao and Carrie Johnson, "WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is free, ending years-long legal saga," NPR (via Georgia Public Broadcasting), June 25, 2024 (updated June 27, 2024)
  • Beginning in 2010, five major newspapers: Opinio Juris, "Former Media Partners Condemn Wikileaks," September 3, 2011 (quoting the joint statement of the Guardian, New York Times, El Pais, Der Spiegel and Le Monde), https://opiniojuris.org/2011/09/03/former-media-partners-condemn-wikileaks/
  • WikiLeaks published all 251,287 cables, unedited: Robert Marquand, "WikiLeaks, already leaking, releases all its US cables unredacted," Christian Science Monitor, September 2, 2011, https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2011/0902/WikiLeaks-already-leaking-releases-all-its-US-cables-unredacted; Opinio Juris, "Former Media Partners Condemn Wikileaks," September 3, 2011 (quoting the joint statement of the Guardian, New York Times, El Pais, Der Spiegel and Le Monde)
  • We deplore the decision of WikiLeaks: Opinio Juris, "Former Media Partners Condemn Wikileaks," September 3, 2011 (quoting the joint statement of the Guardian, New York Times, El Pais, Der Spiegel and Le Monde)
  • a password printed in a book by British journalists: Robert Marquand, "WikiLeaks, already leaking, releases all its US cables unredacted," Christian Science Monitor, September 2, 2011
  • charged 12 Russian military intelligence officers: Associated Press, "Charges undermine Assange denials about hacked email origins," July 14, 2018 (via Boston.com), https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2018/07/14/charges-undermine-assange-denials-about-hacked-email-origins
  • a much higher impact: Associated Press, "Charges undermine Assange denials about hacked email origins," July 14, 2018 (via Boston.com)
  • Neither Assange nor WikiLeaks was charged in that case: Associated Press, "Charges undermine Assange denials about hacked email origins," July 14, 2018 (via Boston.com)
  • Daniel Ellsberg, then 89, testified by video link: Pan Pylas, "Pentagon Papers leaker comes to the defense of Assange," Associated Press, September 16, 2020 (via News4Jax)
  • The American public needed urgently to know: Pan Pylas, "Pentagon Papers leaker comes to the defense of Assange," Associated Press, September 16, 2020 (via News4Jax)
  • On October 1, 2024, in his first public remarks: AFP, "'I pleaded guilty to journalism,' Wikileaks' Assange," October 1, 2024 (via Arab News), https://www.arabnews.com/node/2573457/media
  • because I pleaded guilty to journalism: AFP, "'I pleaded guilty to journalism,' Wikileaks' Assange," October 1, 2024 (via Arab News)
  • As of September 2026, he was living in Australia: NewsGram, "WikiLeaks Founder, Julian Assange Makes a Comeback on X as Internet Buzzes," September 18, 2026, https://www.newsgram.com/world/2026/09/18/julian-assange-wikileaks-comeback; India TV News, "WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange announces return with a new photo: 'I'm back'," September 17, 2026, https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/world/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-announces-return-with-a-new-photo-i-m-back-2026-09-17-1054562
  • Winner served her time and still carries a felony conviction: CBS News, "Reality Winner, who pleaded guilty to leaking secret U.S. report, gets 63-month sentence," August 23, 2018; David Martin Davies, "There have been films about Reality Winner. Now the whistleblower tells her own story," NPR (via WAMC), September 17, 2025
  • an answer he later called "clearly erroneous,": PolitiFact, "James Clapper's testimony one year later," March 11, 2014
  • In 2011, on the 40th anniversary of the leak: National Archives, "Pentagon Papers"
Chapter 14: The Wolf Next Door80 notes
  • Kathe Swanson was covering for her boss: ABC7 Chicago, "How a city worker stole over $53 million in 22-year deception," January 15, 2025, https://abc7chicago.com/post/how-city-worker-stole-53-million-22-year-deception/15767057/; Northern Public Radio (WNIJ), "Dixon Mayor's Statement on Financial Scandal," April 18, 2012, https://www.northernpublicradio.org/post/dixon-mayors-statement-financial-scandal; U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "Former Dixon Comptroller Rita Crundwell Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charge," November 14, 2012, https://www.justice.gov/archive/usao/iln/chicago/2012/pr1114_01.pdf
  • a town of about 16,000 people: Associated Press, "Feds: Ill. suspect spent stolen millions on horses," April 27, 2012 (via Fox News), https://www.foxnews.com/us/feds-ill-suspect-spent-stolen-millions-on-horses.amp
  • was away on extended unpaid leave: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "Former Dixon Comptroller Rita Crundwell Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing $53.7 Million from City," February 14, 2013, https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/former-dixon-comptroller-rita-crundwell-sentenced-nearly-20-years-federal-prison-537; ABC7 Chicago, "How a city worker stole over $53 million in 22-year deception," January 15, 2025
  • she was away at a horse show: ABC7 Chicago, "How a city worker stole over $53 million in 22-year deception," January 15, 2025
  • I looked at it, and this wasn't our account: ABC7 Chicago, "How a city worker stole over $53 million in 22-year deception," January 15, 2025; U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "Former Dixon Comptroller Rita Crundwell Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charge," November 14, 2012
  • The account was called "RSCDA - Reserve Fund.": U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "Former Dixon Comptroller Rita Crundwell Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing $53.7 Million from City," February 14, 2013; Northern Public Radio (WNIJ), "Dixon Mayor's Statement on Financial Scandal," April 18, 2012
  • I literally became sick to my stomach: Northern Public Radio (WNIJ), "Dixon Mayor's Statement on Financial Scandal," April 18, 2012
  • For six months, Burke and Swanson kept the secret: Emily K. Coleman, "Dixon mayor, clerk endured 6 months of silence as investigation took its course," Sauk Valley Media, April 26, 2012, https://shawlocal.com/2012/04/25/this-is-almost-surreal/aomx3ua
  • Crundwell had told them that the State of Illinois: Kevin McDermott, "Big Theft, Little City: Dixon's Former Comptroller Accused of Stealing $53 Million," NPR Illinois, November 1, 2012, https://www.nprillinois.org/statehouse/2012-11-01/big-theft-little-city-dixons-former-comptroller-accused-of-stealing-53-million
  • On April 17, 2012, federal agents arrested Crundwell: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "Former Dixon Comptroller Rita Crundwell Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charge," November 14, 2012; Emily K. Coleman, "Dixon mayor, clerk endured 6 months of silence as investigation took its course," Sauk Valley Media, April 26, 2012
  • had been opened on December 18, 1990: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "Former Dixon Comptroller Rita Crundwell Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing $53.7 Million from City," February 14, 2013
  • almost a third of the city's budget, year after year: Kevin McDermott, "Big Theft, Little City: Dixon's Former Comptroller Accused of Stealing $53 Million," NPR Illinois, November 1, 2012
  • a $2.1 million motor home and nearly $340,000 in jewelry: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "Former Dixon Comptroller Rita Crundwell Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charge," November 14, 2012; Associated Press, "Feds: Ill. suspect spent stolen millions on horses," April 27, 2012 (via Fox News)
  • Her horses produced 52 world champions: Associated Press, "Feds: Ill. suspect spent stolen millions on horses," April 27, 2012 (via Fox News)
  • Dixon froze the pay of its public employees: Kevin McDermott, "Big Theft, Little City: Dixon's Former Comptroller Accused of Stealing $53 Million," NPR Illinois, November 1, 2012
  • Crundwell had been Dixon's comptroller since 1983: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "Former Dixon Comptroller Rita Crundwell Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing $53.7 Million from City," February 14, 2013
  • She looked just like anyone else in town: Kevin McDermott, "Big Theft, Little City: Dixon's Former Comptroller Accused of Stealing $53 Million," NPR Illinois, November 1, 2012
  • She served as both comptroller and treasurer: Kevin McDermott, "Big Theft, Little City: Dixon's Former Comptroller Accused of Stealing $53 Million," NPR Illinois, November 1, 2012
  • She left me high and dry: ABC7 Chicago, "How a city worker stole over $53 million in 22-year deception," January 15, 2025
  • she created 159 fake invoices: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "Former Dixon Comptroller Rita Crundwell Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing $53.7 Million from City," February 14, 2013
  • In 2010, Scott Shumard, the city manager of nearby Sterling: Sauk Valley Media, "Seeing financial red flags: Sterling official told Dixon colleague the numbers seemed off," February 2013, https://shawlocal.com/2013/02/19/seeing-financial-red-flags-sterling-official-told-dixon-colleague-the-numbers-seemed-off/a5mu7hs
  • all verbal from Rita and finance commissioner: Sauk Valley Media, "Seeing financial red flags: Sterling official told Dixon colleague the numbers seemed off," February 2013
  • On November 14, 2012, Crundwell pleaded guilty: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "Former Dixon Comptroller Rita Crundwell Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charge," November 14, 2012
  • Judge Philip Reinhard sentenced her: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "Former Dixon Comptroller Rita Crundwell Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing $53.7 Million from City," February 14, 2013
  • auctioned about 400 of her horses: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "Former Dixon Comptroller Rita Crundwell Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing $53.7 Million from City," February 14, 2013
  • In September 2013 they agreed to pay $40 million: Martha Neil, "Bank and accountants to pay $40M settlement in city embezzlement case," ABA Journal, September 25, 2013, https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/bank_and_accountants_to_pay_40m_to_settle_municipal_embezzlement_case; Phil Rogers and Better Government Association, "Looted City Recoups Most of Stolen Cash," NBC Chicago, February 5, 2014, https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/looted-city-recoups-most-of-stolen-cash/2077155/?amp=1
  • began requiring two signatures on every payment: Phil Rogers and Better Government Association, "Looted City Recoups Most of Stolen Cash," NBC Chicago, February 5, 2014
  • We've got lucky: Phil Rogers and Better Government Association, "Looted City Recoups Most of Stolen Cash," NBC Chicago, February 5, 2014
  • moved her to home confinement: Sara Machi, Adam Harrington and Todd Feurer, "President Biden commutes sentence for former Dixon, Ill. Comptroller Rita Crundwell, who embezzled over $53M," CBS News Chicago, December 12, 2024, https://cbsnews.com/amp/chicago/news/president-biden-commutes-sentence-dixon-comptroller-rita-crundwell
  • the sentences of 1,499 people: Sara Machi, Adam Harrington and Todd Feurer, "President Biden commutes sentence for former Dixon, Ill. Comptroller Rita Crundwell, who embezzled over $53M," CBS News Chicago, December 12, 2024, https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/president-biden-commutes-sentence-dixon-comptroller-rita-crundwell/; Joseph R. Biden, "Statement on Providing Clemency for Nearly 1,500 Individuals on Home Confinement and Pardons for 39 Individuals," December 12, 2024, The American Presidency Project, https://presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/statement-providing-clemency-for-nearly-1500-individuals-home-confinement-and-pardons-for
  • successfully reintegrated into their families and communities: Joseph R. Biden, "Statement on Providing Clemency for Nearly 1,500 Individuals on Home Confinement and Pardons for 39 Individuals," December 12, 2024, The American Presidency Project
  • Her release date had been set for October 2028: Sara Machi, Adam Harrington and Todd Feurer, "President Biden commutes sentence for former Dixon, Ill. Comptroller Rita Crundwell, who embezzled over $53M," CBS News Chicago, December 12, 2024
  • The City of Dixon is shocked and outraged: Sara Machi, Adam Harrington and Todd Feurer, "President Biden commutes sentence for former Dixon, Ill. Comptroller Rita Crundwell, who embezzled over $53M," CBS News Chicago, December 12, 2024; FOX 32 Chicago, "'Travesty of justice': Reaction pours in after Biden commutes Rita Crundwell's sentence," December 2024, https://fox32chicago.com/news/former-dixon-comptroller-rita-crundwell-has-sentence-commuted-biden
  • The message seems to be crime pays: Sara Machi, Adam Harrington and Todd Feurer, "President Biden commutes sentence for former Dixon, Ill. Comptroller Rita Crundwell, who embezzled over $53M," CBS News Chicago, December 12, 2024
  • seldom seen in the community: ABC7 Chicago, "How a city worker stole over $53 million in 22-year deception," January 15, 2025; Todd Feurer, "Former Dixon, Ill. comptroller Rita Crundwell, who embezzled $53 million, released from custody," CBS News Chicago, December 21, 2024, https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/disgraced-former-dixon-ill-comptroller-rita-crundwell-released-from-custody-after-getting-clemency-from-president-biden
  • sent 95 percent of its graduates to college: "Long Island school district hit with scandal," Lawrence Journal-World (wire report), June 17, 2004, https://www2.ljworld.com/news/2004/jun/17/long_island_school; NBC News, "Corruption alleged at Long Island school," 2005, https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna7336199
  • I think people felt comfortable around him: NBC News, "Corruption alleged at Long Island school," 2005
  • using school funds to pay her own bills: Education Week, "Superintendent of Wealthy District Charged in Embezzlement Scandal," July 14, 2004, https://edweek.org/leadership/superintendent-of-wealthy-district-charged-in-embezzlement-scandal/2004/07; NBC News, "Corruption alleged at Long Island school," 2005
  • quietly resigned from the district in 2002: Education Week, "Superintendent of Wealthy District Charged in Embezzlement Scandal," July 14, 2004; "Long Island school district hit with scandal," Lawrence Journal-World (wire report), June 17, 2004
  • an anonymous letter warned the board: "Long Island school district hit with scandal," Lawrence Journal-World (wire report), June 17, 2004
  • a senior and co-editor of the high school's student newspaper: Steve Pond, "'Bad Education' Fact Check: Did All of That Crazy Stuff Really Happen?," TheWrap, April 28, 2020, https://www.thewrap.com/bad-education-fact-check/; Refinery29, "Is Rachel in Bad Education based on a real person?," April 2020, https://refinery29.com/en-us/2020/04/9733954/is-rachel-in-bad-education-based-on-a-real-person
  • after the board finally discussed the matter at a public meeting: Steve Pond, "'Bad Education' Fact Check: Did All of That Crazy Stuff Really Happen?," TheWrap, April 28, 2020
  • prosecutors charged Tassone with grand larceny: Education Week, "Superintendent of Wealthy District Charged in Embezzlement Scandal," July 14, 2004
  • In March 2005 he reported that $11.2 million: Education Week, "Audit Says N.Y. District Lost $11.2 Million to Theft 'Spree'," March 2005, https://www.edweek.org/education/audit-says-n-y-district-lost-11-2-million-to-theft-spree/2005/03; NBC News, "Corruption alleged at Long Island school," 2005
  • Certain senior officials with the keys to the cash register: Education Week, "Audit Says N.Y. District Lost $11.2 Million to Theft 'Spree'," March 9, 2005
  • The money paid for cruises, jewelry, furniture: Associated Press, "Educator sent to prison for helping self to millions," Sun Journal, September 27, 2005, https://www.sunjournal.com/2005/09/27/educator-sent-prison-helping-self-millions/; NBC News, "Corruption alleged at Long Island school," 2005
  • the largest, most remarkable, most extraordinary theft: Associated Press, "Educator sent to prison for helping self to millions," Sun Journal, September 27, 2005
  • Tassone pleaded guilty in September 2005: Associated Press, "Educator sent to prison for helping self to millions," Sun Journal, September 27, 2005
  • Gluckin pleaded guilty to first-degree grand larceny: Casey Cipriani, "The Real Pam Gluckin From 'Bad Education' Served 5 Years For Her Crimes," Bustle, April 25, 2020, https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/the-real-pam-gluckin-from-bad-education-served-5-years-for-her-crimes-22840695; Gina Tron, "Where Are Pamela Gluckin And Frank Tassone, From The 'Bad Education' Embezzlement Scheme, Now?," Oxygen, April 27, 2020, https://oxygen.com/true-crime-buzz/where-are-pamela-gluckin-and-frank-tassone-from-hbos-bad-education-now
  • Tassone was released in 2010 for good behavior: Jessica Lachenal, Bustle, April 25, 2020, https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/where-is-frank-tassone-in-2020-hugh-jackmans-bad-education-character-is-a-free-man-22836009; Gina Tron, Oxygen, April 27, 2020
  • Gluckin was released in 2011: Casey Cipriani, "The Real Pam Gluckin From 'Bad Education' Served 5 Years For Her Crimes," Bustle, April 25, 2020
  • HBO told the story in the film: Steve Pond, "'Bad Education' Fact Check: Did All of That Crazy Stuff Really Happen?," TheWrap, April 28, 2020
  • In August 1983, the mother of a two-year-old boy: Education Week, "McMartin Defendants Acquitted," January 24, 1990, https://www.edweek.org/education/mcmartin-defendants-acquitted/1990/01; PBS Frontline, "Innocence Lost: Other Well-Known Cases," https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/innocence/etc/other.html
  • the police sent a letter to about 200 families: PBS Frontline, "Innocence Lost: Other Well-Known Cases"; Douglas O. Linder, "The McMartin Preschool Abuse Trial: An Account," Famous Trials (University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law), https://famous-trials.com/mcmartin/902-home
  • question your child to see if he or she: Douglas O. Linder, "The McMartin Preschool Abuse Trial: An Account," Famous Trials (University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law)
  • By March 1984, 384 former McMartin students: Douglas O. Linder, "The McMartin Preschool Abuse Trial: An Account," Famous Trials (University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law)
  • seven people were charged: Douglas O. Linder, "McMartin Preschool Trial Chronology," Famous Trials (UMKC School of Law), https://famous-trials.com/mcmartin/904-chronology; Education Week, "McMartin Defendants Acquitted," January 24, 1990
  • No secret rooms were ever found: Douglas O. Linder, "The McMartin Preschool Abuse Trial: An Account," Famous Trials (University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law)
  • In 1986, prosecutors dropped the charges against five: PBS Frontline, "Innocence Lost: Other Well-Known Cases"
  • acquitted them on 52 counts: Douglas O. Linder, "McMartin Preschool Trial Chronology," Famous Trials (UMKC School of Law); Education Week, "McMartin Defendants Acquitted," January 24, 1990
  • The interview tapes were too biased; too leading: Douglas O. Linder, "The McMartin Preschool Abuse Trial: An Account," Famous Trials (University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law)
  • In July 1990, that jury deadlocked too: Douglas O. Linder, "McMartin Preschool Trial Chronology," Famous Trials (UMKC School of Law); Deseret News, "Prosecutor calls McMartin case flawed," July 29, 1990, https://www.deseret.com/1990/7/29/18873802/prosecutor-calls-mcmartin-case-flawed
  • cost about $15 million and produced no convictions: Douglas O. Linder, "The McMartin Preschool Abuse Trial: An Account," Famous Trials (University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law); Education Week, "McMartin Defendants Acquitted," January 24, 1990; PBS Frontline, "Innocence Lost: Other Well-Known Cases"
  • Ray Buckey spent five years in jail awaiting trial: PBS Frontline, "Innocence Lost: Other Well-Known Cases"
  • helped awaken public awareness of the problem: Education Week, "McMartin Defendants Acquitted," January 24, 1990
  • On April 15, 2013, two bombs exploded: FBI, "Boston Marathon Bombing," Famous Cases and Criminals, https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/boston-marathon-bombing
  • partly to tamp down rumors: Steve Henn, "Social Media's Rush To Judgment In The Boston Bombings," NPR, April 23, 2013, https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2013/04/23/178556269/Social-Medias-Rush-To-Judgment-In-The-Boston-Bombings
  • a 22-year-old Brown University student: Steve Henn, "Social Media's Rush To Judgment In The Boston Bombings," NPR, April 23, 2013; Associated Press, "Body found of student named as bombing suspect in early speculation," The Gazette, April 25, 2013, https://gazette.com/?p=1199635
  • he resembled a man in the FBI's photos: Associated Press, "Body found of student named as bombing suspect in early speculation," The Gazette, April 25, 2013
  • People listening to police radio traffic: Steve Henn, "Social Media's Rush To Judgment In The Boston Bombings," NPR, April 23, 2013
  • to attract hateful, angry posts: Steve Henn, "Social Media's Rush To Judgment In The Boston Bombings," NPR, April 23, 2013
  • in 2015 a federal jury convicted Dzhokhar: FBI, "Boston Marathon Bombing," Famous Cases and Criminals
  • Though started with noble intentions: Rosa Golijan, "Reddit publicly apologizes 'for the pain' caused to family of falsely accused student," NBC News, April 22, 2013, https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/reddit-publicly-apologizes-pain-caused-family-falsely-accused-student-flna6c9553154; Channel 4 News, "Boston bombs: Reddit sorry for online witch-hunt," April 23, 2013, https://www.channel4.com/news/boston-bombs-reddit-sorry-online-witch-hunt-wrong-suspect
  • We hoped that the crowd-sourced search: Channel 4 News, "Boston bombs: Reddit sorry for online witch-hunt," April 23, 2013
  • to apologize publicly for the pain: Rosa Golijan, "Reddit publicly apologizes 'for the pain' caused to family of falsely accused student," NBC News, April 2013; Steve Henn, "Social Media's Rush To Judgment In The Boston Bombings," NPR, April 23, 2013
  • but the outcome was no different: Channel 4 News, "Boston bombs: Reddit sorry for online witch-hunt," April 23, 2013
  • Sunil Tripathi's body was found: Associated Press, "Body found of student named as bombing suspect in early speculation," The Gazette, April 25, 2013
  • We hope that this doesn't happen again: Steve Henn, "Social Media's Rush To Judgment In The Boston Bombings," NPR, April 23, 2013
  • the love you have so generously shared: Associated Press, "Body found of student named as bombing suspect in early speculation," The Gazette, April 25, 2013
  • In July 2005, New York required every school district: Jeff Archer, "In N.Y., Auditors Comb School Districts' Books," Education Week, October 25, 2005, https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/in-n-y-auditors-comb-school-districts-books/2005/10
Conclusion: Your First 24 Hours57 notes
A Field Guide to the Wolves' Tricks31 notes