A Brief History
On July 13, 1973, retired Air Force officer and member of the Nixon Administration revealed the existence of an automatic audio tape system in the Oval Office, helping to bring down President Richard Nixon. While not immediately, Alexander Butterfield survived his snitching and went on to business success, eventually serving on the boards of several corporations.
Digging Deeper
In spite of various “whistle blower” programs designed to protect and even reward “snitches,” many people are hesitant to provide inside information to authorities in fear of retaliation. Some other “snitches” that survived and prospered include:
Tim Allen, television star and former drug dealer that ratted out his fellow criminals and went on to riches.
The Reverend Al Sharpton, minister, activist and TV personality, was once a mob informer when the FBI trapped him agreeing to drug deals.
President Ronald Reagan and Entertainment Tycoon Walt Disney both became FBI informants during the Red Scare years, ratting out possible communist sympathizers.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Is it okay to be a snitch? Under what circumstances?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Eliot, Marc. Walt Disney: Hollywood’s Dark Prince. Harpercollins, 1994.
Howell, Ron. King Al: How Sharpton Took the Throne. Empire State Editions, 2021.
