Wigand: 60 Minutes' Most Famous Whistleblower

By: Overtime Staff
Topics: 60 Rewind

This week on the "60 Minutes" broadcast, we showed you our recent story about government agency whistleblower Tom Drake.

Watch Scott Pelley's full report here.

Whenever we broadcast a whistleblower story on "60 Minutes," conversation here often turns to the most famous and controversial whistleblower piece in the annals of "60 Minutes": Mike Wallace's interview with Jeffrey Wigand. Wigand was the tobacco company insider who blew the whistle on Big Tobacco in the mid-1990s, exposing the lies we'd all been told for decades about cigarettes.

Formerly a research scientist for Brown & Williamson, Wigand was the first major tobacco insider to reveal that cigarette companies were consciously trying to get us hooked on nicotine, despite tobacco executives' public statements to the contrary. What's more, Wigand told Mike Wallace that his former colleagues knew all along that their tobacco products contained additives that increased the danger of developing diseases.

The two-part "60 Minutes" story that aired in 1996 inspired a Hollywood film ("The Insider," starring Russell Crowe), countless articles, university lectures, and a whole lot of contentious debate inside and outside the offices of CBS News. It's not easy to find this archival video on the Internet or anywhere else, and we think it should be available as a piece of history for anyone to watch and discuss. So, here is Mike's two-part story, as it aired on February 4, 1996, in full.

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by commonwithit August 23, 2012 4:52 AM EDT: Jeffrey Wigand's agenda,post "The Insider", is working closely with the FDA who have full
control over tobacco. When I asked him personally (recently)about all the FSC cigarette illnesses, he denied knowing anything about it. That's funny, two years earlier in an e-mail I sent him that he
responded to, he thanked me for bringing the FSC cigarette illnesses to his attention and that he would personally notify Dr. Lawrence Deyton at the FDA. Wigand is a NOT TELLING THE TRUTH and is
in bed with the FDA who are deliberately lacing cigarettes with new FSC chemicals to induce unorthodox illnesses to coerce smokers into
quitting. Smokers in other countries are NOT experiencing this. WIGAND,(the architect of FSC or low ignition propensity cigarettes) the FDA, Jeffrey Wigand and Lawrence Deyton are very well aware of all the illnesses to smokers yet do nothing. WHY? They should be convicted of crimes
against American citizens. The needle is too good for these
men.; Reply to this comment


by sandrosiles July 25, 2012 6:08 AM EDT: Finally. It would be great to see the original tapping of the Wigand interview, however this is one big step in the right direction. To hear Dr. Wigand explain how Big Tobacco knew, and had known for some time, the impact that smoking had on the general public in regards to the addictive ingredients that cigarettes had, causing a number of illnesses, was no surprise to the general public. The biggest surprise was learning how long Big Tobacco knew of the cause and effect of smoking, and the ingredients used within cigarettes, and how they led to other diseases. Thank you CBS and 60 Minutes.; Reply to this comment

by freedom8246 September 3, 2011 10:38 PM EDT

You Dont yet Have Americas BigGest whisel Blower

My Name Is Dale Bennington I live in Florida.

Whats going on right now in the Morgage Markest and The foreclosure

Markets They are all pointing fingers at one Another in washington

I was The Author and The writter of The Book That started all This

Investigating Into The largest Ponzi scem and scam In the History Of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Buy those in the Morgage Markets

and how they are trying to still cover it up in the Foreclosure Markets. Where Talking Trillions and trillions of Dollars as you should . The BOOK TITLE WHAT THEY DONT WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT FORECLOSURES. The Front Cover Read Buyer Beware This HOSUE IS UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION FOR FORECLSURE FRAUD. This is Why they passes Into LAW IN 2011 THAT EVER AMERICAN NOW HAS THE LEGAL RIGHTS TO KNOW WHO THIER LEGAL LENDERS ARE. Whos Money did they use for all these scams and fraud.. Peoples CDS< IRAS, 401ks
saving accounts checking accounts the social security fund the medicare fund pention funds. Plus Those who Insured them where the depositors themselves having to insure thier OWN MONEY

Feel Free To Contact Me.

Dale Bennington
3195 Montague AVE
SPRING HILL FL. 34608
1 352 340 5852

Im am 61 years Old and A Viet NAM VET

Reply to this comment


by henry0519 April 8, 2012 5:39 PM EDT: If your book is anything like this comment then I hope it comes with a translator. Nobody who writes as poorly as you should be published.

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