A surprising number of entries on this list have had movies made about their stories. Whistleblowers aren’t generally seeking fame, however. WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, is an obvious exception but there is an obvious method to the “reclusive” founder’s madness. At this point, Assange might be THE most famous whistleblower in history but that point is debatable.
Here’s a brief list of a few exceptionally famous whistleblowers…
Better known as the anonymous informant, “Deep Throat,” Felt assisted Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein during the infamous Watergate scandal. Felt served as the number two guy in the FBI and was the most important source for Woodward. The coverage provided by the young reporters was instrumental in forcing President Richard Nixon to resign from office. To this day, few whistleblowers have had as much impact as Felt. (I think Assange is getting close with the sheer volume of information he’s released.)
Most people are aware of Wigand’s story from the movie The Insider. Wigand was an executive for a large tobacco company when he decided to approach 60 Minutes with a bombshell accusation: cigarette companies knew their products were addictive and attempted to “enhance” that quality with chemical additives. The company sued Wigand to prevent him from speaking or testifying in open court. Wigand was instrumental as a an expert witness as various states sued tobacco companies to recoup losses to public health programs caused by tobacco-related illnesses.
This former Marine Corps officer and Harvard graduate has been making news recently defending Assange and Bradley Manning, the alleged source of classified American diplomatic communications given to WikiLeaks. Ellsberg was at the center of his own freedom of information dispute in the 1970s during the fight to publish The Pentagon Papers. The documents proved that the various Presidential administrations had systematically lied to the public about the ability of U.S. forces to win the Vietnam War. The issue eventually found its way before the Supreme Court in New York Times Co v. United States which reaffirmed the right of media to publish share information vital to public interest.
A former ambassador and current businessman, Wilson was sent by the Central Intelligence Agency to Niger to investigate claims that Sadam Hussein’s regime had attempted to secure yellow cake uranium. After the Bush administration downplayed his report, Wilson went public. The result was a clusterfuck of retaliation as Wilson’s wife, Valerie Plame, was revealed publically as a CIA agent by a newspaper columnist. One administration official was convicted in relation to the Plame leak but attempts by the couple to file a lawsuit have been unsuccessful.
On April 25th, 1970 a story appeared on the front page of The New York Times that would rock the city and its police force. The article, written with the assistance of New York Police Department officer Frank Serpico, detailed massive, widespread corruption among cops. Though Serpico was eventually promoted to detective, he was shot in a “questionable shooting” incident widely believed to have been arranged by fellow police officers. Corruption was still an issue for the NYPD for years after but Serpico’s actions helped get the ball rolling.
A relatively unknown figure, Klein made headlines around the world in 2006 when he revealed that his employer, AT&T, had been cooperating with the National Security Agency to monitor the telecommunications of American citizens. After 22 years with the company, Klein lost his job. The Electronic Frontier Foundation is currently suing the NSA and AT&T in federal court in California.
Not all whistleblowers have great reputations. Tripp was a highly paid government employee at the Pentagon when she befriended a young woman named Monica Lewinsky that was having an affair with then-President Bill Clinton. Tripp recorded her conversations with Lewinsky which revealed Clinton had lied about the affair under oath. An impeachment trial failed to remove Clinton from office.
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