Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg dies at 92

Daniel Ellsberg, the whistleblower who leaked the “Pentagon Papers” about the Vietnam War, died on Friday, his family announced at the age of 92.

Ellsberg announced in March that doctors told him he had terminal pancreatic cancer and only around six months to live.“He was not in pain, and was surrounded by loving family,” his wife and children said in a statement announcing his death — and highlighting that his last months had been well spent despite his illness.

Ellsberg was charged under America’s Espionage Act but the case ended in a mistrial in 1973 after illegal evidence gathering by the government came to light.“Daniel was a seeker of truth and a patriotic truth-teller, an antiwar activist, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, a dear friend to many, and an inspiration to countless more. He will be dearly missed by all of us,” his family added.

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Ellsberg was a military analyst when he released thousands of documents to US media in 1971 that revealed successive United States administrations had lied to the public about the Vietnam War.The 7,000 classified pages determined that, contrary to the public assertions of US government officials, the conflict was unwinnable.