On June 13, 1971, The New York Times began publishing the Pentagon Papers, a collection of top-secret documents exposing the U.S. strategy in the Vietnam War. The papers serve as a United States Department of Defense timeline of the country’s political and military involvement in Vietnam.
Daniel Ellsberg worked on the study and released the papers. He stated that the Johnson administration “ … systematically lied, not only to the public but also to Congress.” He was charged with conspiracy, espionage and theft of government property. However, the charges were dismissed.
In 2011, the papers were declassified and fully released.
– Laura Rambo, The Tallahassee 100