CBS News and Paramount Audio are set to produce a new eight-episode podcast that delves into the story of Robert Hanssen, the most treacherous FBI agent in history who leaked top-secret information to Moscow for over two decades. The currently-untitled podcast, hosted by CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Major Garrett, will premiere this fall.
Garrett, also known for hosting The Takeout, will explore Hanssen’s betrayals and the significant collateral damage they caused. The upcoming podcast promises to provide the most comprehensive account of Hanssen’s complex life, his crimes, and their aftermath.
The podcast will feature never-before-heard interviews with key figures involved in the investigation, original reporting, and rich archival sound. It aims to expose FBI failures and successes, Hanssen’s unusual private life, and the devastating impact of his treachery on many lives. Hanssen, who died in a federal supermax prison this spring, is widely considered the most dangerous FBI spy in history.
CBS News has already compiled over 70 hours of tape and original reporting for the podcast. This includes firsthand accounts from primary sources intimately involved in the Robert Hanssen case. More than 40 people, including Hanssen’s family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and the agents who apprehended him, have been interviewed to provide a comprehensive portrait of the man.
Garrett shared his thoughts on the podcast, saying, “How does the nation handle its most sensitive secrets? It’s a question we’ve wrestled with for decades but is especially relevant today. Everything about Robert Hanssen fascinates me – how he escaped detection for 22 years, the depth of his betrayals, how he was caught and, most elusive of all, why he did it. Chasing these answers has taken two years and I can’t wait to share this extraordinary story with our listeners.”
