10 Most Disturbing Claims Ever Made By Government Whistleblowers
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VOICE OVER: Peter DeGiglio
WRITTEN BY: Arianna Wechter
From classified documents to shocking revelations, brave individuals have risked everything to expose dark government secrets. Join us as we examine the most chilling and controversial claims made by those who dared to speak out against institutional wrongdoing, cover-ups, and human rights violations. Our countdown includes Edward Snowden's NSA surveillance revelations, the Pentagon Papers, the Tuskegee experiments, Abu Ghraib prison torture, and other disturbing exposures that changed how we view government actions. Which whistleblower do you think made the most impactful revelation?
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the most shocking revelations made by government insiders.
Mass NSA Surveillance Post 9/11
When a national emergency occurs, no one thinks that the pitfalls will land directly on the affected citizens. After the attacks on September 11th, 2001, the Protect America Act was passed, giving organizations like the NSA permission to track Americans and foreigners alike without a warrant. This quickly led to the creation of PRISM, a program dedicated to collecting natives web data. In 2013, it was exposed by Edward Snowden, a former NSA employee, and quickly became a national story. He not only revealed exactly how it worked, but what exactly it stole. From searching through people’s private messages to spying on World of Warcraft players, it made it clear just how far the government was willing to go to stop potential terrorists.
NSA Tracking American Citizens Pre-9/11
Although the Snowden revelations put modern U.S. government surveillance in the spotlight, it wasn’t the first time it’d happened. In the 1960s, the Cold War prompted officials to create ECHELON—a program to observe the USSR and its allies. This spiraled into something much larger, and was soon being used to collect global satellite data. The network was even capable of accessing phone calls and other forms of correspondence. It was Perry Fellwock, an NSA analyst, who came forward about the tracking stations placed around the world. His leaks led to the Church committee being passed in 1973, which ensured that American citizens wouldn’t be spied on. Unfortunately, that was amended less than 30 years later following 9/11—and hasn’t been fixed since.
The Sand Creek Massacre
Whistleblowers aren’t a modern concept. They’ve existed throughout history—even in some countries’ adolescence. During the American Frontier Wars in 1864, Captain Silas Soule and his men were ordered to carry out a gruesome attack against a peaceful Native American encampment. Soule not only refused to take part in it, but heavily insulted anyone who would. Though the Sand Creek massacre still unfortunately took place– and led to the violent deaths of hundreds of innocent people—Soule refused to stand by. He appeared in court to testify during an investigation of the act, which eventually led to the offending Colonel resigning from his position. His good deed wasn’t without sacrifice, as he was assassinated only two months afterwards.
Business Leaders Planning a Coup Against President Franklin D. Roosevelt
What could’ve been a disastrous moment in American history was stopped by one man’s convictions. President Franklin Roosevelt was an economically progressive president—something that immediately unsettled businessmen nationwide. This led to the Business Plot being created—a coup that would overturn the election results and enstate Smedley Butler as the de facto leader. It was Butler himself who ended up coming forward about the insidious plan, even revealing that his attempt would be bankrolled and padded with 500,000 former U.S. soldiers. His efforts were met with denials from those who were accused, leading to a heated debate that was encouraged by the media. Though no proof has been shown, the committee in charge of investigating the claims has insisted they’re true.
CIA’s Involvement in Indonesian Killings of 1965-66
Some accusations are quelled before they can even reach a national audience. This was the case for Ralph McGehee, a past officer for the CIA who had come forward about several of their alleged transgressions. One such claim made in 1981 purported that they had been involved in a series of mass killings in Indonesia throughout the 1960s, leading to the deaths of at least 500,000 accused communists. He even considered it to be a prototype for an American-supported 1973 coup in Chile. The leak was heavily censored by the CIA, resulting in a legal battle between them, McGehee, and the ACLU. While the former was ultimately victorious, his allegations were a small look into the extent of the government’s foreign interference.
The Truth About the Vietnam War
Even when it was ongoing, many considered the war in Vietnam to be senseless—and this reveal only strengthened that position. The Pentagon Papers—copied and originally circulated by Daniel Ellsberg in the early 1970s—made it clear just how far the government was willing to go in order to ensure victory. It leaked everything, from the insidious goals of the United States to the bombings and raids they carried out that had never once been reported on. It even exposed several planned attacks that hadn’t come to fruition, and a coup that had—leading to the assassination of President Diem and the reinstatement of an America-approved choice. The publication spanned several presidential administrations, exposing them in a way they never had been before.
Torture of Prisoners at Abu Ghraib
Unfortunately, not all that serve do so with good intentions. During the Iraq War, the army remodeled a former prison run by Saddam Hussein into one for their own purposes. They then proceeded to imprison anyone they felt would pose a threat to themselves or the country as a whole. They were then given clearance to interrogate through any means possible—including acts of torture. The prisoners at Abu Ghraib were put through physical, psychological, and sexual abuse—which was even photographed by the perpetrators. Some even depicted soldiers posing next to a corpse. These images were first brought to the light by Joe Darby in 2004, whose good deed was rewarded with doxxing and constant threats from his own countrymen.
War Crimes & Human Rights Violations in the Middle East
While technically a crime, what Chelsea Manning did shone a light on war crimes committed by her own country. In 2009, she received access to a plethora of classified information—and quickly found evidence of war crimes being committed in the Middle East. The files—which were then sent to WikiLeaks—contained damning evidence, ranging from footage of a deadly 2007 airstrike carried out in Baghdad to the revelation of countless civilians being murdered by United States troops. These leaks ultimately led to her arrest and imprisonment, and she was even looking at a potential death sentence for aiding the enemy—with her sentence eventually being commuted in 2017. While controversial, her act has led to some people seeing the military in a new light.
My Lai Massacre Cover-up
The country’s goals surrounding the Vietnam War haven’t been the only things to be exposed. One event carried out by the United States government has gone on to live in infamy to this day—the horrific My Lai massacre. Perpetuated in 1968, hundreds of Vietnamese citizens were rounded up and slaughtered with a wide array of weapons. One soldier, Hugh Thompson Jr., attempted to stop this act and even reported it—only for it to be covered up and explained away as an accident. It wasn’t until 1969, when Ronald Ridenhour came forward with everything he’d been told about the mass killings—namely that they had been planned and ordered by commanding officers—that the truth began to be reported.
Infecting African-American Citizens with Syphilis
There are some studies so vile that it’s hard to believe they took place. Yet, from 1932-72, Tuskegee University used the guise of free medical care to leave hundreds of African-American men infected with syphilis. The afflicted participants were never told of their diagnosis, leaving them in the dark while they were treated with toxic materials. The scientists involved even prevented the men from receiving actual care. When Peter Buxtun first learned of this in 1965, he tried to report it—only to be brushed aside. He finally leaked what he knew in 1972, immediately making headlines across the nation. It was only then that the experiment was finally called off—but the damage done caused generational trauma that’s still felt today.
Which whistleblower do you think exposed the most shocking leak? Let us know in the comments below.
Mass NSA Surveillance Post 9/11
When a national emergency occurs, no one thinks that the pitfalls will land directly on the affected citizens. After the attacks on September 11th, 2001, the Protect America Act was passed, giving organizations like the NSA permission to track Americans and foreigners alike without a warrant. This quickly led to the creation of PRISM, a program dedicated to collecting natives web data. In 2013, it was exposed by Edward Snowden, a former NSA employee, and quickly became a national story. He not only revealed exactly how it worked, but what exactly it stole. From searching through people’s private messages to spying on World of Warcraft players, it made it clear just how far the government was willing to go to stop potential terrorists.
NSA Tracking American Citizens Pre-9/11
Although the Snowden revelations put modern U.S. government surveillance in the spotlight, it wasn’t the first time it’d happened. In the 1960s, the Cold War prompted officials to create ECHELON—a program to observe the USSR and its allies. This spiraled into something much larger, and was soon being used to collect global satellite data. The network was even capable of accessing phone calls and other forms of correspondence. It was Perry Fellwock, an NSA analyst, who came forward about the tracking stations placed around the world. His leaks led to the Church committee being passed in 1973, which ensured that American citizens wouldn’t be spied on. Unfortunately, that was amended less than 30 years later following 9/11—and hasn’t been fixed since.
The Sand Creek Massacre
Whistleblowers aren’t a modern concept. They’ve existed throughout history—even in some countries’ adolescence. During the American Frontier Wars in 1864, Captain Silas Soule and his men were ordered to carry out a gruesome attack against a peaceful Native American encampment. Soule not only refused to take part in it, but heavily insulted anyone who would. Though the Sand Creek massacre still unfortunately took place– and led to the violent deaths of hundreds of innocent people—Soule refused to stand by. He appeared in court to testify during an investigation of the act, which eventually led to the offending Colonel resigning from his position. His good deed wasn’t without sacrifice, as he was assassinated only two months afterwards.
Business Leaders Planning a Coup Against President Franklin D. Roosevelt
What could’ve been a disastrous moment in American history was stopped by one man’s convictions. President Franklin Roosevelt was an economically progressive president—something that immediately unsettled businessmen nationwide. This led to the Business Plot being created—a coup that would overturn the election results and enstate Smedley Butler as the de facto leader. It was Butler himself who ended up coming forward about the insidious plan, even revealing that his attempt would be bankrolled and padded with 500,000 former U.S. soldiers. His efforts were met with denials from those who were accused, leading to a heated debate that was encouraged by the media. Though no proof has been shown, the committee in charge of investigating the claims has insisted they’re true.
CIA’s Involvement in Indonesian Killings of 1965-66
Some accusations are quelled before they can even reach a national audience. This was the case for Ralph McGehee, a past officer for the CIA who had come forward about several of their alleged transgressions. One such claim made in 1981 purported that they had been involved in a series of mass killings in Indonesia throughout the 1960s, leading to the deaths of at least 500,000 accused communists. He even considered it to be a prototype for an American-supported 1973 coup in Chile. The leak was heavily censored by the CIA, resulting in a legal battle between them, McGehee, and the ACLU. While the former was ultimately victorious, his allegations were a small look into the extent of the government’s foreign interference.
The Truth About the Vietnam War
Even when it was ongoing, many considered the war in Vietnam to be senseless—and this reveal only strengthened that position. The Pentagon Papers—copied and originally circulated by Daniel Ellsberg in the early 1970s—made it clear just how far the government was willing to go in order to ensure victory. It leaked everything, from the insidious goals of the United States to the bombings and raids they carried out that had never once been reported on. It even exposed several planned attacks that hadn’t come to fruition, and a coup that had—leading to the assassination of President Diem and the reinstatement of an America-approved choice. The publication spanned several presidential administrations, exposing them in a way they never had been before.
Torture of Prisoners at Abu Ghraib
Unfortunately, not all that serve do so with good intentions. During the Iraq War, the army remodeled a former prison run by Saddam Hussein into one for their own purposes. They then proceeded to imprison anyone they felt would pose a threat to themselves or the country as a whole. They were then given clearance to interrogate through any means possible—including acts of torture. The prisoners at Abu Ghraib were put through physical, psychological, and sexual abuse—which was even photographed by the perpetrators. Some even depicted soldiers posing next to a corpse. These images were first brought to the light by Joe Darby in 2004, whose good deed was rewarded with doxxing and constant threats from his own countrymen.
War Crimes & Human Rights Violations in the Middle East
While technically a crime, what Chelsea Manning did shone a light on war crimes committed by her own country. In 2009, she received access to a plethora of classified information—and quickly found evidence of war crimes being committed in the Middle East. The files—which were then sent to WikiLeaks—contained damning evidence, ranging from footage of a deadly 2007 airstrike carried out in Baghdad to the revelation of countless civilians being murdered by United States troops. These leaks ultimately led to her arrest and imprisonment, and she was even looking at a potential death sentence for aiding the enemy—with her sentence eventually being commuted in 2017. While controversial, her act has led to some people seeing the military in a new light.
My Lai Massacre Cover-up
The country’s goals surrounding the Vietnam War haven’t been the only things to be exposed. One event carried out by the United States government has gone on to live in infamy to this day—the horrific My Lai massacre. Perpetuated in 1968, hundreds of Vietnamese citizens were rounded up and slaughtered with a wide array of weapons. One soldier, Hugh Thompson Jr., attempted to stop this act and even reported it—only for it to be covered up and explained away as an accident. It wasn’t until 1969, when Ronald Ridenhour came forward with everything he’d been told about the mass killings—namely that they had been planned and ordered by commanding officers—that the truth began to be reported.
Infecting African-American Citizens with Syphilis
There are some studies so vile that it’s hard to believe they took place. Yet, from 1932-72, Tuskegee University used the guise of free medical care to leave hundreds of African-American men infected with syphilis. The afflicted participants were never told of their diagnosis, leaving them in the dark while they were treated with toxic materials. The scientists involved even prevented the men from receiving actual care. When Peter Buxtun first learned of this in 1965, he tried to report it—only to be brushed aside. He finally leaked what he knew in 1972, immediately making headlines across the nation. It was only then that the experiment was finally called off—but the damage done caused generational trauma that’s still felt today.
Which whistleblower do you think exposed the most shocking leak? Let us know in the comments below.
