Silicon Valley is an innovation incubator, but not just for tech — hand in hand with its growth have been efforts to steal enticing secrets. Spy Valley: An Engineer’s Nuclear Betrayal, a new podcast series from Project Brazen and PRX, introduces the world to a riveting tale from the dawn of this new era of global espionage.
The series, produced by Goat Rodeo and hosted by award-winning intelligence and national security journalist Zach Dorfman, explores the story of a man named James Harper, a Silicon Valley engineer turned spy, and how he began selling nuclear secrets to the Soviet Bloc. It became the case of a lifetime for San Francisco-based FBI spy hunters. Dorfman got to know these agents and their amazing stories as well as the tale of Harper—from extensive, revealing interviews with the former ex-spy himself. The series takes listeners on a journey of nuclear spying, technology theft, and double agents, with intelligence that might still help Moscow in a nuclear exchange today.
Join us for a live panel moderated by Sharon Weinberger, the national security and foreign policy editor at The Wall Street Journal, featuring Zach Dorfman, investigative journalist and host of Spy Valley; historian and former FBI Special Agent Dr. Raymond J. Batvinis; John Gibbons, who headed the United States Attorney's prosecution team in the case against James Harper; and nuclear historian and National Cryptologic Museum Director, Dr. Vince Houghton.
They’ll explore how the tech capital of the world became a hotbed for Soviet Bloc spies and what James Harper’s betrayal of his country has meant for modern day warfare.
After their conversation, you can ask Zach, John, Dr. Batvinis, and Vince for their insight into other aspects of nuclear spying and technology theft. Reception to follow.
In the meantime, listen to the series — out now — here or wherever you get your podcasts.
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