Hello WhistleStop listeners, I'm Leon Nefoc, the host of a new slate mini series called

Slow Burn, a podcast about Watergate.

Over the course of eight episodes, we're exploring what it was like to live through the greatest

political scandal of the 20th century.

You're about to listen to the first episode.

I hope you enjoy it.

The first four episodes are available for download wherever you get your podcasts and they'd make

for a great holiday season

binge listen learn more about the series at slate.com slash slow burn. I'm going to start

with a story that you've probably never heard. It takes place in June of

1972 just a few days after five men broke into the Watergate

office building in Washington, D.C. It's a story about a woman named Martha Mitchell, who was

at the time very famous, and whose life was destroyed in large part because of her proximity to the Watergate conspiracy

Martha's husband worked in politics

His name was John Mitchell and in in June of 1972, he was in charge of the committee to re-elect President

Richard Nixon. Before that, Mitchell had an even bigger job.

He was the Attorney General of the United States.

Nixon called John Mitchell his most trusted friend and advisor.

Others simply called him Deputy President.

Historians disagree on what exactly Martha really knew about Watergate. Hist That was the beginning of my being held a prisoner.

Later, Martha would tell David Frost of the BBC everything that happened to her that weekend.

You really were, held a prisoner.

...