en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ellsberg
1 correction found
In January 1973, Ellsberg was charged under the Espionage Act of 1917
This date is incorrect. Ellsberg was charged in 1971; January 1973 was when his trial began, not when the charges were brought.
Full reasoning
The article appears to conflate the start of Ellsberg's trial with the filing of charges.
A contemporaneous legal document preserved by the Knight First Amendment Institute is titled "Indictment re: Daniel Ellsberg and Anthony Russo ... (C.D. Cal. Dec. 29, 1971)" and states that it is the indictment charging Ellsberg and Russo under the Espionage Act. That means he was already formally charged in 1971, not January 1973.
A separate National Archives / Richard Nixon Presidential Library page also distinguishes the two events, stating that the federal government charged Ellsberg and Russo and that their trial began in Los Angeles on January 3, 1973. So January 1973 is the trial date, not the charge date.
Because the post specifically says he "was charged" in January 1973, that sentence is factually wrong on the timeline.
2 sources
- Indictment re: Daniel Ellsberg and Anthony Russo, United States v. Russo et al. ... (C.D. Cal. Dec. 29, 1971) | Knight First Amendment Institute
"Indictment charging Ellsberg and Russo with violations of Sections 793(c), (d), and (e) of the Espionage Act. December 29, 1971"
- 50th Anniversary of the Release of The Pentagon Papers | Richard Nixon Museum and Library
"The Federal Government charged both Ellsberg and Russo with violating the Espionage Act of 1917; their trial began in Los Angeles on January 3, 1973."