Tony Russo (whistleblower)


Anthony J. Russo Jr. was an American researcher who assisted Daniel Ellsberg, his friend and former colleague at the RAND Corporation, in copying the Pentagon Papers.

Early life

Russo was born in Suffolk, Virginia. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1960, then worked on a NASA space capsule program. He continued his education at Princeton University, earning master's degrees in aeronautical engineering and in public affairs. He began working at the RAND Corporation as a researcher in the late 1960s.

Pentagon Papers and trial

Russo and Ellsberg were charged with espionage, theft, and conspiracy. On May 11, 1973, a federal court judge dismissed all charges against them. Judge William M. Byrne Jr. dismissed the case in May 1973 before it reached a jury, after the office of Ellsberg's psychiatrist had been burglarized and the Federal Bureau of Investigation had lost records of what may have been illegally taped telephone conversations. Byrne was also offered the position of FBI director by John Ehrlichman during the trial.

Death

Russo died of natural causes at his home in Suffolk, Virginia on August 6, 2008.