Master Plan, Ep. 4: The Task Force That Took Over America

In the third episode of Master Plan, we told you about the Powell Memo, an angry, pro-business screed written by lawyer-turned-U.S. Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell. His manifesto paints a scary picture of how big businesses can exert control over elections, the media, the courts, and even universities. 

But is there any proof that the Powell Memo was anything more than just… a memo? 

Uncovering troves of never-before-reported evidence, we answer that question for the first time by proving that corporate executives and politicians didn’t just read Powell’s memo — they acted on it.

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This includes three secret meetings of a “Powell Memo Task Force” — including one at  Disney World. These gatherings drew together America’s most powerful businessmen, a future president, and an ambitious young media consultant named Roger Ailes. 

By the end of 1974, the Powell Memo had transformed from a set of ideas into an actual master plan — and the pieces were in place to carry out a decades-long assault on American democracy. 

To access Episode 4 bonus content, including an agenda, a seating chart, and an eye-witness report of the secret Powell Memo meetings, become a paid subscriber at a discount right now.

If you become a paid subscriber, you can also listen right now to Episode 5 and score early access to all future episodes. Here’s what’s in store:

Episode 5: Corporations Are People, My Friend (Premium Access Only)

You might remember Mitt Romney’s infamous line: “Corporations are people, my friend.” But where did this idea come from? In this episode, we look at how the Ford Administration and the Powell Memo movement turned to the U.S. Supreme Court to establish the precedent that legalized corruption: money is speech, and corporations are entitled to First Amendment rights.

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