Fat Leonard

When the U.S. Navy needed something in the South Pacific or Asia, Leonard Francis seemed to be able to provide just about anything. Nicknamed "Fat Leonard," Francis showered senior officers with bribes - lavish dinners, prostitutes and gifts. In exchange, the officers kept lucrative contracts flowing to Francis's companies, which often overcharged the government for services and supplies. Francis was also able to extract something even more valuable than Navy contracts: classified information. Join us for a conversation with author and Washington Post reporter Craig Whitlock whose scintillating new book "Fat Leonard" dives into one of the wildest scandals in U.S military history. We're at Ris in Washington, D.C.'s West End neighborhood. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices