Top 10 Times the Truth Came Out and SHOCKED the World

0:00 In Boston, Dr. Daniel Ellsberg, the man named as the source of the Pentagon copy that appeared in the New York Times, turned himself in today to federal authorities. >> Welcome to Watch Mojo, and today we're counting down the moments when the truth was dragged into the light, exposing hidden agendas, corrupt systems, and shocking cover-ups. >> But in all of my years of public life, I have never profited, never profited from public service. >> Number 10, Edward Snowden and the global surveillance disclosures. Breaking news this evening is the identity of the man who sent the Obama administration into defend and explain mode this week. His name is Edward Snowden. He's an American former CIA employee and computer technician. Today he came out as the leaker of classified NSA documents that spell out a secret surveillance program.

0:47 When Edward Snowden pulled back the curtain on America's surveillance apparatus, the world learned just how closely it was being watched. In 2013, the former NSA contractor leaked thousands of classified documents, exposing the agency's mass data collection programs, including the monitoring of phone records, emails, and even foreign leaders. The leaks revealed a surveillance state far more expansive than most Americans had imagined, sparking a global debate on privacy, security, and government overreach. When you're in positions of of privileged access, like a a systems administrator for these sort of intelligence community agencies, you're exposed to a lot more information on a broader scale than the average employee. And because of that, you see things that uh may be disturbing. >> Alternately branded a traitor and a hero, Snowden fled the US for Russia and

1:34 remains in exile. The government insisted it was all legal, but the damage was done and the public could no longer claim ignorance about how far Big Brother was willing to go. >> Snowden was hiding out of the transit zone of Moscow airport for more than a month before Russia granted him asylum for one year. >> Now, this move certainly strains relations between the US and Russia because, of course, the US wanted Snowden back here in the States to face prosecution. >> Number nine, Harvey Weinstein's extensive misconduct allegations. one of his accusers going to police secretly recording her confrontation with Weinstein, but no charges were ever filed. And now, Hollywood actors Gwennneth Paltro and Angelina Jolie are breaking their silence. Hollywood had whispered about Harvey Weinstein for years, but in 2017, those whispers grew into a rally cry that was impossible to ignore. Decades of harassment, assault,

2:21 and intimidation by the powerful movie producer, were exposed in bombshell reports by the New York Times and The New Yorker, featuring testimonies from multiple women, including prominent performers and public figures. >> Alcho tells the New York Times the movie mogul summoned her to his hotel suite for a meeting, then allegedly placed his hands on her and suggested they head to the bedroom for massages. The actress says she refused and later told then boyfriend Brad Pitt, who confronted Weinstein. A source tells ABC News Pit told him to never touch her again. >> The revelation shattered the code of silence in the entertainment industry and sent shock waves into domains far beyond it. Yes, Weinstein's downfall was one man's reckoning, but it was more than that. It became the catalyst for the global #meto movement, empowering survivors to speak out against abuse in

3:07 every corner of society. >> Weinstein is heard admitting to inappropriately touching an Italian model. The audio has been verified by ABC News. >> Yesterday you touched my priest. Oh, >> please. I'm sorry. Just come on. I'm used to that. >> Are you used to that? >> Yes. Come in. >> Number eight, Chernobyl disaster coverup. >> Good evening. Here's what's happening tonight. The Soviets are saying little, but what is known is cause for concern. A nuclear accident has occurred at a Soviet atomic plant in the Ukraine. >> It is believed serious, but details of damage, injuries, or casualties are few so far. Eyewitness News reporter Liz Gonzalez has more on this accident. What is thought to be the first such accident the Soviets have ever made public. When reactor number four at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded in April 1986, the fallout was more than

3:53 radioactive. It was political. The catastrophic failure triggered during an ill-advised safety test led to at least 30 immediate deaths with countless more exposed to dangerous levels of radiation in the days, weeks, and years that followed. The first the world knew of the accident was when Scandinavians noticed radiation in the air over the weekend just past. Not enough to hurt anyone, but enough to frighten. I would speculate that it was very serious. And and the reason for that is that they've observed radiation levels 10 times normal from Finland all the way down to Stockholm. >> The nearby city of Pryiet was evacuated and abandoned, but the real damage went far beyond Ukraine's borders. In the critical hours after the blast, the Soviet government scrambled to contain not the radiation, but the truth. The attempted cover up unraveled fast,

4:39 fueling global outrage and deepening mistrust of the USSR. The Russians may have been hoping they could contain it without having to release the news, as they appear to have tried to do so in an earlier accident in the Eurals 19 years ago. But the fact that they've had to reveal it and admit that there are casualties suggests they're deeply worried about the scale of it. Number seven, Tuskegee syphilis study. >> Did they tell you you had syphilis? >> Nothing like that. [Music] >> Do that draw my blood. We'll see you next time. >> Brace yourself. The Tuskegee syphilis study remains one of the most disturbing and shameful violations of medical

5:26 ethics in modern history. Launched in 1932 by the US Public Health Service, the study aimed to track the long-term effects of untreated syphilis in black men under the guise of free healthcare. >> Last year, over 60,000 babies were born with syphilis. And in the United States alone, more than a million syphilis cases were reported. Only a small fraction of these cases ever completed treatment. In truth, the government deliberately withheld diagnoses and real treatment from 600 participants, many of whom were poor sharecroers, even after penicellin became the standard cure. I have now strong feelings that more should have been done and that perhaps we should have had an

6:12 American Nunberg tile uh of the conduct of the Tuskegee experiment. >> The experiment was conducted in partnership with Tuskegee University, lending it an air of legitimacy while masking its cruel intent. Originally planned for 6 months, it dragged on for 40 years until a whistleblower's leak to the press finally brought it to a screeching halt. For 7 years, I went around trying to throw the story over the transom of some newspaper reporter or some television person who would talk about it, who would make some inquiry. At least I talked to law professors. I talked to friends who were reporters. >> Number six, Facebook Cambridge Analytica data scandal. Tonight, Facebook stock

6:58 tanking, dropping nearly 7% after allegations that data firm Cambridge Analytica secretly harvested the personal information of 50 million unsuspecting Facebook users. In 2018, the world learned how much of themselves they'd unknowingly handed over to big tech and how it was being weaponized. The Facebook Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed that data from millions of users had been harvested without consent and exploited for political targeting, most notably during the 2016 US presidential election and allegedly the Brexit campaign. >> Whistleblower Christopher Wy helped found Cambridge, which later was brought on to help the Trump campaign. The firm hired by Jared Kushner, who oversaw the digital operation, and by Brad Parcal, who's now running the Trump 2020 re-election efforts. It's really

7:43 important that Americans understand what has happened with their data. Facebook's role in enabling the breach led to congressional hearings and global backlash. It was a wakeup call for the digital age. The platforms we use every day weren't just tracking us. They were shaping what we thought, how we voted, and what we believed. >> They don't care whether or not what they do is legal as long as it gets the job done. >> Last week, UK authorities raided Cambridge Analytica's London headquarters. And in Washington, the Federal Trade Commission opened an investigation as well. Lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic are now pressuring Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify about the breach. >> Number five, Panama Papers. >> Four decades of documents, over 11 million files accusing banks, businessmen, and over 140 politicians in

8:29 50 countries of working the system to avoid paying taxes. Those implicated deny any wrongdoing, while other officials are calling for tougher action against tax abuse. When the Panama Papers leaked in 2016, they pulled back the veil on a global system built to hide wealth and protect the powerful. The massive data dump leaked from Panameanian law firm Mosak Fona detailed how world leaders, celebrities, and billionaires used offshore accounts and shell companies to conceal assets and dodge taxes. The scope was staggering. 11 and a half million documents that dated back decades implicating figures from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the prime minister of Iceland. In the wake of the Panama Papers revelations, Iceland's Prime Minister Sigmunda Gunlausen has asked for parliament to be

9:15 dissolved. However, before reaching a decision, the president said he needed to speak to the coalition partner and main opposition parties. >> The fallout was swift and harsh, leading to resignations, investigations, and worldwide outrage. But the more profound shock came from what the leak revealed, a rigged financial system that operated in plain sight and was shrouded by intense secrecy. >> Many of these offshore companies are legal and Putin's spokesperson called the investigation an attack against Russia. >> I think Putin's um press barons will now work overtime to make sure this story is buried. >> The law firm says it only sets up the companies is not responsible for how they're run. >> Number four, Mi Massacre. >> This is going to be a free-for-all. You can shoot anything you want. Anything that moves as long as he's not one of

10:00 your own. >> Said shoot everything, man, woman, children, and the whole bit. Everything that could aid the VC, you know, every living thing. That was sort of like the order. >> Well, this is uh something a soldier has to do is to take orders and and uh carry them out. >> It probably goes without saying that the Vietnam War was deeply unpopular, but nothing compared to what came out of MI. In March 1968, US soldiers massacred as many as 500 unarmed Vietnamese civilians in one of the war's most horrifying episodes. The army tried to bury the truth, but former soldier Ronald Rydenower's persistent whistleblowing eventually brought the massacre to light in November 1969. >> I wanted to see action taken, and I wanted to see the people who are responsible arrested. I think that the

10:46 people who are primarily responsible have not been arrested. But I think the people who are being arrested now are merely the pawns of the game. >> The revelations ignited public outrage and further eroded support for the war. Only one soldier, Lieutenant William Calli, was convicted and served merely a few years under house arrest. Mili didn't only expose a war crime. It exposed the lengths to which institutions would go to hide the truth. >> That's not what we were sent here for, you know, to kill innocent people. >> And it was it was difficult, >> you know. I'm really sorry that it happened because you know our unit helped people. >> We weren't killing people. >> Number three, Iran Contra affair. >> My fellow Americans, I've said on

11:32 several occasions that I wouldn't comment about the recent congressional hearings on the Iran Contra matter until the hearings were over. Well, that time has come. So, tonight I want to talk about some of the lessons we've learned. Who knew that quietly funneling weapons to an embargoed nation would explode into one of the most infamous scandals of the 80s? The Iran Contra affair was a full-blown crisis that rocked the Reagan administration and shattered public trust in a covert scheme that defied both law and logic. Senior officials sold arms to Iran and funneled the profits to Nicaraguan Contras, sideststepping congressional oversight. When the truth surfaced, the repercussions were immediately clear. First, let me say I take full responsibility for my own actions and for those of my administration. As angry as I may be about activities

12:19 undertaken without my knowledge, I am still accountable for those activities. As disappointed as I may be and some who serve me, I am still the one who must answer to the American people for this behavior. >> In fact, Reagan took to live television not once but twice to accept responsibility. Though Reagan himself was cleared in the subsequent investigations, the scandal stands as a sobering reminder that even the most powerful among us can't keep the truth buried forever. >> A few months ago, I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions still tell me that's true, but the facts and the evidence tell me it is not. >> Number two, Pentagon Papers. >> Even if the FBI had wanted to arrest him outside the courthouse this morning, they probably couldn't have done it.

13:04 Ellburg was walled off by a mob of newsmen and supporters as he admitted that he was indeed the man who brought the Pentagon papers to the press and congressional leaders. In case it wasn't already obvious, the Vietnam War was one of the most chaotic and credibility crushing chapters in US history. But what made it truly damning was what the public didn't know until the truth was revealed. In 1971, military analyst Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon papers to the New York Times, exposing decades of government deception about America's involvement in Vietnam. >> I could only regret >> that I had not at that same time >> released that information to the American public through the newspapers. >> I have now done so. I can no longer cooperate in concealing this information from the American public. The documents

13:50 revealed that successive administrations had misled Congress and the public, escalating a deadly and destructive war they privately doubted could be won. Ellburg was swiftly charged with theft and conspiracy, but was ultimately acquitted. By then, the damage was done and the illusion was shattered. >> Does the executive branch, the president, have the right really to keep from Congress information about decision-m that bears on the history of the last 25 years? how we got into Vietnam, what the recommendations were, what the decision-m and the responsibility was. >> Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them. If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.

14:37 Number one, Watergate scandal. >> I've earned every cent. And in all of my years of public life, I have never obstructed justice. And I think too that I can say that in my years of public life that I welcome this kind of examination because people have got to know whether or not their president's a crook. Well, I'm not a crook. >> Maybe you saw this one coming, but how could we not spotlight one of the most explosive political reckonings in modern history? Richard Nixon's legacy was irreparably tarnished by the Watergate scandal. A stunning revelation that revealed what a sitting president was willing to do to hold on to power. >> The Democratic National Committee is trying to solve a spy mystery. It began before dawn Saturday when five intruders were captured by police inside the offices of the committee in Washington.

15:23 The five men carried cameras and apparently had planted electronic bugs. One of them had several crisp new $100 bills in his pocket. Nixon and his team orchestrated an illegal surveillance operation against the Democratic National Committee, then tried to bury the evidence under layers of denials and deception. But thanks to the relentless reporting of Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the truth inevitably came smashing through. The result, Nixon became the first and so far only US president to resign in disgrace. >> I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is abhorrent to every instinct in my body. But as president, I must put the interests of America first.

16:09 >> Which truth bomb shocked you the most? Are there any we missed? Be sure to let us know in the comments below. If the president can really keep secret indefinitely and at his own decision, essentially without appeal, this sort of information both from Congress and the public, he really escapes from all accountability. And it's hard to say that our foreign policy is in any way democratic.