Before he became a federal judge and a consequential justice on the Supreme Court, Antonin Scalia served in the Nixon and Ford administrations. Amid the turmoil of the post-Watergate era, Scalia helped reform the intelligence community, worked to preserve the executive powers of the presidency, and provided legal authorization for covert operations.
James Rosen is exploring Scalia’s life in a two-volume biography. The first volume, Scalia: Rise to Greatness, 1936-1986, just debuted. Rosen, a veteran reporter and bestselling historian, will reveal Antonin Scalia’s Executive Branch experiences with the US intelligence community. Drawing on unparalleled access to new documentary and personal sources, Rosen traces Scalia’s ground-breaking work on the reforms of the post-Watergate era, including new Justice Department guidelines for the use of surveillance at sensitive foreign installations; his testimony before the Pike Committee; and his role in the approval of covert operations, including the evacuation of the US Embassy during the fall of Saigon in April 1975. Rosen knew Justice Scalia personally and he will discuss Scalia’s life and legacy with wit and firsthand insight — just how fast a driver was the justice in his BMW, anyway? Rosen will let us know in his conversation with Amanda Ohlke, Director of Adult Education at the Spy Museum.
Following the conversation, you’ll be able to ask questions via our online platform.
Auto-generated closed captioning will be available for this program.