Newly Declassified Memo Casts Doubt on Ethel Rosenberg's Espionage Conviction

Ethel Rosenberg's sons urge President Biden to exonerate her, citing a 1950 NSA assessment concluding she knew of her husband's spying but did not participate.

• The 1950 memo from NSA codebreaker Meredith Gardner reveals Ethel Rosenberg was aware of Julius Rosenberg's activities but did not engage in espionage due to ill health.
• Historians remain divided, with some asserting Ethel Rosenberg's indirect involvement in espionage, despite the memo.
• The Meeropol brothers, Ethel's sons, argue the memo is vital evidence proving their mother's innocence and are calling for her exoneration.
• The memo was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, adding to the body of evidence suggesting Ethel Rosenberg was wrongfully convicted.
• The brothers have campaigned for decades to clear their mother's name and seek a presidential proclamation to correct the historical record.

3 Articles

Boston Globe The Guardian Associated Press