When investigative reporter Charles E. Shepard began covering televangelist Jim Bakker and his ministry, Praise the Lord, he knew it could be the biggest story his paper was following. Throughout the 1980s, he documented Bakker’s extraordinary wealth, financial crimes, and sexual assault of a former PTL secretary named Jessica Hahn. Shepard’s efforts helped win his paper a Pulitzer Prize for meritorious public service. Today, he joins Lindsay to talk about his book, Forgiven: The Rise and Fall o...
Jul 02, 2024•41 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast In 1987, the empire that Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker spent their lives building is falling apart. When Jessica Hahn comes forward and alleges Bakker sexually assaulted her, he’s forced to resign as PTL’s leader. Then, Bakker goes through one of the most publicized trials of the decade, exposing his lifestyle and business decisions to the intense scrutiny of evangelical leaders, the press and the federal government. Need more American Scandal? With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new...
Jun 25, 2024•40 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast After the FCC concludes its investigation of the Bakkers for misusing donor funds, reporters in Charlotte start to uncover a series of complaints from former PTL staff members. Bakker and his underlings try to silence the whistleblowers, but they become increasingly worried when Charlotte Observer reporter Charles Shepard uncovers a damning allegation against Bakker. Need more American Scandal? With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. ...
Jun 18, 2024•39 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast After marrying and dropping out of bible college in the early 1960s, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker launch a traveling evangelical show with puppets, which catches the attention of televangelist Pat Robertson. Robertson offers them their first TV show on his new Christian Broadcasting Network. By the 1970s, the Bakkers strike out on their own, launching their own ministry and television network, Praise the Lord. But as the Bakkers use their followers’ donations to fund their lavish lifestyle, it rais...
Jun 11, 2024•38 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Drawing on more than 100 hours of interviews and boxes of unreleased documents, journalist Keith O’Brien unraveled the mystery behind the Love Canal disaster in his book, Paradise Falls: The True Story of an Environmental Catastrophe . Today, O’Brien takes Lindsay through what he discovered about an unlikely group of women who stood up against injustice to save their families. O’Brien’s reporting reveals new details about the Love Canal site and Hooker Chemical, and explores how the tragedy...
Jun 04, 2024•43 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Protests in the Love Canal neighborhood reach a boiling point in 1980. After a study from the Environmental Protection Agency finds more people have been affected by high levels of chemical exposure, a riot breaks out in front of the Love Canal Homeowners Association. And as Lois Gibbs is forced to choose between standing up for her neighborhood or potentially facing criminal liability, grieving parent Luella Kenny confronts Armand Hammer, the CEO of Hooker Chemical’s parent company. Need ...
May 28, 2024•39 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast By 1979, officials in Washington, DC are taking notice of the situation in Love Canal. A young congressman from Tennessee, Al Gore, invites Lois Gibbs to testify at the capitol in support of radical updates to the nation’s laws on chemical waste. But local officials, like recently-appointed state health commissioner David Axelrod, continue to stand in the way. Need more American Scandal? With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start y...
May 21, 2024•39 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Despite her initial reluctance, Lois Gibbs starts to find purpose in rallying Love Canal residents in their protests against government inaction. But concerns over who will get evacuated, and who will be forced to stay, threaten to divide residents. Meanwhile, the shocking death of a child in the neighborhood ignites new fears that the chemicals are even more dangerous than previously thought. Need more American Scandal? With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen...
May 14, 2024•40 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast In the spring of 1978, reporter Mike Brown begins publishing a series of articles in the Niagara Gazette about potentially harmful chemicals leaking into the soil and water in Love Canal, a neighborhood built around what had been a dumping ground for the Hooker Chemical company. The news is a jolt to local residents, like mother Lois Gibbs, who fear for their families’ health. When government officials fail to act, Gibbs helps form a group of unlikely activists set on cleaning up their neighborh...
May 07, 2024•41 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Eric O’Neill was a 27-year-old FBI surveillance operative when he first heard the name Robert Hanssen. It was the assignment of a lifetime: go undercover to bring down a mole that had been feeding secrets to the Russian government for more than two decades. O’Neill takes Lindsay behind the scenes of the operation that changed his life and led to the capture of one of the most notorious spies in American history. His book of the account is called Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose America'...
Apr 30, 2024•44 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast In 2001, Robert Hanssen’s spy career comes to a crashing halt after he’s arrested in the middle of a handoff to the Russians. It’s a massive win for the FBI, but not without its own fallout. FBI director Louis Freeh still needs to explain to the American public how Hanssen was able to go undetected for so long. Meanwhile, to avoid a death sentence, Hanssen agrees to cooperate with authorities and reveal the details of his decades-long spying career. Need more American Scandal? With Wondery...
Apr 23, 2024•38 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast When ex-Bunny girl Jayne Gaskin spots the desert island of her dreams for sale online, she decides to risk it all. Trading in their English village home, Jayne and her family relocate to their own private paradise, just off the coast of Nicaragua. And a reality TV crew follows them to film a new show, No Going Back . But soon they all discover that paradise has its secrets. The locals claim the island belongs to them, and it’s been sold illegally. Jayne’s not leaving without a fight. ...
Apr 21, 2024•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast By the 1990s, Robert Hanssen has been spying on and off for more than a decade. After the fall of the Soviet Union, he decides to break off contact with his Russian handlers. But his urge to spy is too great, and soon he revives his alter ego “Ramon” — unaware that a former KGB agent has just given the FBI a huge break in their effort to finally track him down. Need more American Scandal? With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. ...
Apr 16, 2024•36 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Realizing there’s a spy in their midst, the FBI and CIA reluctantly agree to join forces, and launch a joint investigation to ferret out the mole. But they unwittingly put Robert Hanssen in charge of a crucial aspect of the case, enabling him to throw them off the scent as he continues selling secrets to the KGB. Need more American Scandal? With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start your free trial in the Wondery App, Apple Podcast...
Apr 09, 2024•39 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Business Wars is a podcast about the biggest corporate rivalries. In the newest season, host David Brown tracks the power struggles and philosophical differences within OpenAI that culminated in Sam Altman’s shocking firing, the chaos that followed, and what it means not just for OpenAI, but for the future of artificial intelligence safety overall. Follow Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to Business Wars early and a...
Apr 08, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast In 1976, at the height of the Cold War, Robert Hanssen joins the FBI to work in their counterintelligence division. Hanssen is valued for his technical skills, and put in charge of databases containing some of the country’s most valuable secrets. But he’s socially awkward, and constantly passed up for promotions and field work, leaving him resentful of his employers. Soon, he decides to turn to another source of income: selling information to his country’s greatest enemy, the Soviet Union. Over ...
Apr 02, 2024•41 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Pam Davis and Bill Kottmann worked as hospital executives in the Chicago area during Governor Rod Blagojevich’s time in office. The pair unwittingly ran into the corruption surrounding “Blago” when they tried to get a permit to build a new hospital. Instead of capitulating to extortion, Pam and Bill went to the FBI. Today, these whistleblowers join Lindsay to share what it was like to wear wires and gather evidence that helped lead to the arrests of Blagojevich and his co-conspirators. Need more...
Mar 26, 2024•35 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast In 2008, with his administration mired in scandal, Governor Rod Blagojevich decides to press the only advantage he has left — his authority to name President-Elect Barack Obama's successor in the U.S. Senate. But as he and his advisers discuss how to leverage the seat to his advantage, they don't know that the FBI is listening in. And soon, based on what they hear, they'll have Governor Blagojevich in handcuffs. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at htt...
Mar 19, 2024•36 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Tipped off to some shady dealings on several Illinois state boards, the FBI launches an investigation into Governor Rod Blagojevich's administration. At first, they set their sights on a well-connected businessman named Stuart Levine, who seems to using his board seats to run kickback schemes. But soon, their investigation leads them all the way to Blagojevich's campaign headquarters. Need more American Scandal? With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen complete...
Mar 12, 2024•39 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast In 1999, U.S. Congressman Rod Blagojevich leans on his Serbian ancestry to insert himself into the war in Yugoslavia and get his name in the papers. And his gambit pays off, allowing him to set his sights on a new position: governor of Illinois. But the ruthless campaign fundraising tactics of Blagojevich's close adviser, Tony Rezko, will come back to haunt him. Need more American Scandal? With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start your ...
Mar 05, 2024•39 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast These are stories you were never meant to hear. The invisible but vital work of the world’s intelligence services: secret operatives playing to very different rules. The Spy Who, hosted by Indira Varma and Raza Jaffrey, takes you deep inside that shadow world to meet spies who risked everything in the national interest – or, sometimes, their own. Search and follow The Spy Who wherever you listen to podcasts, or binge entire seasons early and ad-free on Wondery+ on Apple Podcasts or the Wondery a...
Mar 04, 2024•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Two decades before he was arrested in 2008 on corruption charges while still serving as Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich got his start in the dog-eat-dog world of Chicago politics under the tutelage of his mentor and father-in-law, Richard Mell. But after winning a seat in the Illinois house, Blagojevich chafes at his nickname, "Representative Son-in-Law." He's determined to prove he's his own man - and he'll stop at nothing as he seeks higher office. Need more American Scandal? With Wondery+,...
Feb 27, 2024•39 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Journalist Justin Fenton covered the Gun Trace Task Force scandal for the Baltimore Sun. He sat through the trials and heard testimony from accused cops and their victims. He reported on the ripple effects of the scandal, in the police department and in the community. And then David Simon, creator of The Wire, called and asked Fenton to write a book. Today, Lindsay speaks with Justin Fenton, author of We Own This City, which was made into an HBO limited series by the same name. Need more America...
Feb 20, 2024•35 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast The FBI's investigation into the Gun Trace Task Force, codenamed Broken Boundaries, finally leads to arrests. But for federal prosecutors to prove their case against these rogue cops, they need to find witnesses willing to testify against them. Listen to American Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. ...
Feb 13, 2024•38 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast In the summer of 2016, Sergeant Wayne Jenkins gets his most prestigious assignment yet: heading up the Gun Trace Task Force, one of Baltimore’s best plainclothes units. It's the perfect cover for his increasingly illegal activities. But what Jenkins doesn't know is that the task force is already under investigation by federal authorities. Need more American Scandal? With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start your free trial in the Wonder...
Feb 06, 2024•40 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Following a series of questionable arrests, plainclothes detective Wayne Jenkins finds himself relegated to the desk duty. But when Baltimore is roiled by protests following the death of Freddie Gray at the hands of police, Jenkins seizes an opportunity to get back in the action - and bring more crooked cops into his orbit. Need more American Scandal? With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons first, and listen completely ad-free. Start your free trial in the Wondery App, Apple Po...
Jan 30, 2024•38 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast In 2017, seven members of an elite Baltimore police unit called the Gun Trace Task Force were arrested and charged with robbery, extortion, fraud, and selling drugs seized during police operations. While some were quick to dismiss the arrests as a case of a few bad apples, a subsequent investigation revealed a culture of corruption within the Baltimore Police Department that had allowed rogue cops to flourish. Need more American Scandal? With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons ...
Jan 23, 2024•40 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast When a charismatic young doctor announces revolutionary treatments for cancer and HIV, patients from around the world turn to him for their last chance. As medical experts praise Serhat Gumrukcu’s genius, the company he co-founded rockets in value to over half a billion dollars. But when a team of researchers makes a startling discovery, they begin to suspect the brilliant doctor is hiding a secret. From Wondery, the new season of Dr. Death: Bad Magic is a story of miraculous cures, magic and mu...
Jan 22, 2024•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast The FBI gets closer to the Unabomber. But a leak to the media threatens the case. And soon, agents are forced to take action. Listen to American Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting https://wondery.com/links/american-scandal/ now. See Privacy ...
Jan 16, 2024•41 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast A fight erupts between Ted Kaczynski and his brother, David. And when tragedy strikes, the Kaczynski family begins to break apart. Listen to American Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting https://wondery.com/links/american-scandal/ now. See Privacy P...
Jan 09, 2024•39 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast 
