Episode 2065: Craig Whitlock explains how an overweight Malaysian contractor known as Fat Leonard bribed, bilked and seduced the U.S. Navy
May 16, 2024
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Prize-winning investigative journalist Craig Whitlock reveals the scandal of Fat Leonard, a Malaysian contractor who bribed and seduced US naval officers. The story uncovers corruption, incompetence, and moral lapses within the Navy. Whitlock discusses the erosion of trust in the military due to corrupt actions, shedding light on the betrayal and lack of accountability within the higher ranks.
The Fat Leonard scandal revealed a breach of integrity within the US Navy involving numerous officers and admirals.
Leonard's criminal entrepreneurship included strategic manipulation of Navy officers through lavish events and gifts for leverage.
The saga emphasized systemic flaws in oversight and enforcement within the military institution, raising concerns about negligence.
Deep dives
Overview of Fat Leonard
Fat Leonard, whose real name is Leonard Francis, was a Malaysian defense contractor for the US Navy, providing port services across Asia. His expansive business operations included major and minor ports from Singapore to Vladivostok, Russia. His criminal activities involved bribery, manipulation, and collecting blackmail material on numerous US Navy officers, highlighting his sophisticated criminal nature and the underestimation of his intelligence by the Navy.
Extent of Information Breach
Leonard recruited 10 US Navy officers who willingly leaked classified information on US warships and submarines over seven years. This included critical data on the movement of vessels in regions where major adversaries like China, Russia, and North Korea operate. Despite Leonard's claims of not selling information intentionally, the Pentagon remains uncertain about potential breaches or unauthorized access to classified data inspired by Leonard's connections.
Operational Tactics and Influence
Leonard's criminal entrepreneurship involved strategic tactics like hosting lavish events and grooming Navy officers with gifts, aiming to accumulate leverage and control over them. The ease with which he acquired classified data and coerced compliance by insiders, emphasizing his manipulative and cunning nature within the naval circles.
Maritime Corruption Impact and Political Oversight
The Fat Leonard scandal unveiled a significant breach of integrity within the US Navy, involving around a thousand individuals, including 90 admirals. The inadequate public accountability and reluctance of political administrations to address the crisis underscored systemic flaws in oversight and enforcement. The lack of transparency and accountability within the military institution raised concerns about negligence and ethical shortcomings.
Exceptional Criminal Mastermind
Despite facing legal consequences, Leonard's criminal saga represents a remarkable tale of corruption and betrayal within the US Navy. His excessive pursuit of wealth and power, coupled with his manipulative tactics, led to a downfall that exposed deep-seated vulnerabilities in a respected institution. The investigation surrounding Fat Leonard highlighted the insidious complexity of his operations and the broader implications of systemic failures in monitoring and preserving naval integrity.
It’s a mind blowing story. In Fat Leonard, the Washington Post’s prize winning investigative journalist Craig Whitlock tells of a Malaysian contractor called Leonard Glenn Francis who successfully seduced up to a thousand US naval officers with prostitutes, fancy dinners and expensive gifts. The most astonishing thing of all, he explains, is that many Naval officers seems to have known exactly what Fat Leonard was up to. So what, I asked Whitlock, does this tell us about the state not just of the Navy but of all the armed services. Might there be other Fat Leonards also lurking in the closets of the US Air Force and Marines?
Craig Whitlock is an investigative reporter for The Washington Post and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Afghanistan Papers. He has worked for the Post since 1998 as a foreign correspondent, Pentagon reporter, and national security specialist, and has reported from more than sixty countries. His coverage of the war in Afghanistan won the George Polk Award for Military Reporting, the Scripps Howard Award for Investigative Reporting, the Investigative Reporters and Editors Freedom of Information Award, and the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for international reporting. He is also a three-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.
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