 Daniel Ellsberg

Daniel Ellsberg (born April 7, 1931) is an American economist, activist and former United States military analyst who, while employed by the RAND Corporation, precipitated a national political controversy in 1971 when he released the "Pentagon Papers", a top-secret Pentagon study of the U.S. government decision-making in relation to the Vietnam War, to "The New York Times" and other newspapers.On January 3, 1973, Ellsberg was charged under the Espionage Act of 1917 along with other charges of theft and conspiracy, carrying a total maximum sentence of 115 years.