MASTER PLAN, Ep 3: The Memo That Changed America

The Powell Memo almost sounds fake: a decades-old manifesto detailing how corporations and oligarchs could fight back against New Deal-era reforms and use their money to hijack American politics. It’s like some boogeyman manufactured by liberals desperate to come up with an explanation for their loss of power.

But as you’ll learn in Episode 3 of Master Plan, the Powell Memo is real, and it shaped American society in ways that were mostly unknown — until now.

Click here to subscribe on the podcast player of your choice and start listening:

In Episode 3, we introduce you to the man behind the memo: the seemingly moderate, deceptively mild-mannered Lewis Powell, who authored a memorandum laying out the future for corporate corruption — and then ascended to the U.S. Supreme Court, where he was positioned to implement his viciously pro-business agenda. We trace Powell’s money-drenched past, including the legal work he did helping tobacco companies fight public health advocates, and unearth snippets of his speeches detailing his radicalization. 

We also hear from another famous Lewis, who helps us explore the memo’s contents, plus we talk to a current U.S. senator who’s committed to exposing the memo’s pernicious influence over the last five decades. 

To access exclusive bonus content for Episode 3, including photos of cigarette executives celebrating the new Supreme Court justice and proof Powell was an FBI informant, subscribe at a discount right now.

If you become a paid subscriber, you can also listen right now to Episode 4 and score early access to all future episodes. Here’s what’s in store:

Episode 4: The Movement (Premium Access Only)

What influence did the Powell Memo really have? Is there any proof that corporate executives and politicians actually implemented its ideas? In this episode, we definitively answer those questions for the very first time. The Lever uncovered proof of the secretive “Powell Memo Task Force,” as well as three never-before-reported clandestine meetings that drew together America’s most powerful businessmen, a future president, and an ambitious young media consultant named Roger Ailes. The results would change history.

Upgrade And Access Episode 4