The once classified pentagon papers were released to the public during the Nixon presidency through The New York Times
The Pentagon Papers was the name of a top-secret study of US relations in Vietnam. The study was ordered by McNamara to report the internal policy-planning and decision-making within the U.S. He wanted the report to see where they had gone wrong in the war. It was finished in January of 1969 consisting of 47 volumes and 7,000 pages. Officially called United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967: A Study Prepared by the Department of Defense, but commonly known as the Pentagon Papers.
Scandal:
In 1971, the New York Times published a series of articles based on information in the Pentagon Papers. Though the US Department of Justice filed prior restraint on the publication, the Supreme Court ruled this a violation of the First Amendment, and therefore unconstitutional. The articles shocked the American people, as they revealed that the administrations of Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson had knowingly deceived the American people in their conduct of the war.
The Pentagon papers were tangible proof that four presidents lied to us about something as important as war. What else could they be lying about? This sentiment ignited fear and distrust across America.
Scandal:
In 1971, the New York Times published a series of articles based on information in the Pentagon Papers. Though the US Department of Justice filed prior restraint on the publication, the Supreme Court ruled this a violation of the First Amendment, and therefore unconstitutional. The articles shocked the American people, as they revealed that the administrations of Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson had knowingly deceived the American people in their conduct of the war.
The Pentagon papers were tangible proof that four presidents lied to us about something as important as war. What else could they be lying about? This sentiment ignited fear and distrust across America.