“FAT LEONARD,” A 9-part Podcast Exploring the Nationwide Safety Corruption Scandal With Unique Entry To Leonard Francis, Debuts On Tuesday, October 5

Host Tom Wright, co-author of New York Instances Bestseller Billion Greenback Whale, dissects one of the vital surprising unknown tales of our period that includes a protection contractor who bribed U.S. Navy officers with money, escorts and luxurious gadgets

Debut Undertaking Brazen Authentic podcast will probably be accessible on PRX, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google podcasts and Stitcher

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Undertaking Brazen Authentic “FAT LEONARD,” a nine-part podcast exploring the continuing investigation into one of many largest nationwide safety breaches involving the U.S. Navy in a long time, will debut on Tuesday, October 5. With Leonard Francis completely speaking for the primary time, host Tom Wright uncovers the surprising actuality of the protection contractor who received tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars} by means of corrupt offers with the U.S. Navy in change for money bribes, escorts and luxurious gadgets. FAT LEONARD will make clear the Navy’s cover-up of the case, which has gone after nearly 30 officers, however didn’t prosecute admirals whom Leonard claims took items and favors. The explosive story will even function scores of different voices, together with outstanding ladies who share the broader story of misogyny and sexual abuse within the U.S. navy.

“FAT LEONARD,” a brand new podcast exploring one of many largest nationwide safety breaches, will debut on October 5.

“The story of Leonard Francis’ rise to energy within the navy by means of bribery and kickbacks is a very powerful corruption case in latest navy historical past,” stated Tom Wright. “It reveals a gaping gap in U.S. nationwide safety and the way misogyny remains to be working rampant from petty officers to admirals.”

In FAT LEONARD, Host Tom Wright takes a deep dive into Leonard Francis’ mafia-like group contained in the Navy, corrupting even the highest officer on the famed Navy Felony Investigation Service (NCIS) because it began receiving recommendations on his shady dealings. The put up will reveal particulars about Francis’ videotaping of indiscretions with Navy officers, creating one of many U.S. navy’s worst-ever nationwide safety failures. Listeners will learn the way Francis’ rip-off was tolerated as a result of he was a trusted middleman of the Navy, paying bribes on their behalf to achieve U.S. entry to ports and defending warships from terrorists. Francis will clarify the half he performed in covert missions in opposition to Al Qaeda, utilizing his personal warship, the Braveheart, to help Marines below U.S. diplomatic cowl.

Girls concerned within the scandal will even give first-hand accounts, together with one Navy spouse who helped deliver down Leonard. And we’ll present how certainly one of Leonard’s girlfriends is preventing for the return of her youngsters, snatched from her and dwelling with him below home arrest. The alarming particulars in FAT LEONARD may destabilize the most important trials but of Navy officers on this case, set to start early subsequent 12 months.

FAT LEONARD is the inaugural undertaking from Undertaking Brazen, an progressive content material studio with an thrilling slate of podcasts, books, documentaries, TV exhibits and movies in improvement co-founded by bestselling authors and Pulitzer finalists Wright and Bradley Hope. Wright and Hope had been longtime collaborators on the Wall Road Journal the place they wrote groundbreaking front-page tales on among the largest occasions of the day and uncovered international crime. They led the newspaper’s workforce that broke open the 1Malaysia Improvement Bhd. (1MDB) scandal, a $6 billion fraud which introduced down a authorities and compelled Goldman Sachs to pay the most important ever penalty below U.S. bribery legal guidelines. Collectively they co-wrote the #1 worldwide bestseller Billion Greenback Whale (2018) about Malaysian playboy Jho Low, the fraud’s mastermind, who ensnared banks, Hollywood celebrities and politicians in his schemes.