Irish Examiner view: Farewell to king of the whistleblowers

Daniel Ellsberg 1931-2023

Daniel Ellsberg talks to media outside the Federal Building in Los Angeles, April 28, 1973. Picture: AP Photo/Wally Fong

You have to be a certain age to remember the full impact of the disclosures made by Daniel Ellsberg who, through his leaking of the “Pentagon Papers”, demonstrated the lies and malfeasance that elected officials were prepared to undertake to dupe voters, opponents, and fellow citizens.

Before Ellsberg the illicit transfer of government information was the province of spies and traitors — Julius and Ethel Rosenberg who were executed for passing atomic secrets to Russia; the Portland Spy Ring; Burgess and Maclean and the “Third Man”.