Memorandum from Howard Hunt to Charles Colson, July 28, 1971

This is the first written record I found in the archive detailing actions to be taken against Ellsberg by the Plumbers: their first to-do list. The memo includes one detail that shifts the entire narrative of the escalation of Plumber crimes. Most accounts suggest that the break-in at Dr. Fielding’s office was only conceptualized after the psychological profile they developed on Ellsberg proved insufficient. However, this memo would suggest that the Plumbers planned to carry out both efforts from the beginning. This record provides deeper insight into the corrupt and vengeful nature of the Plumbers and the Nixon administration.

Grace Simmons