The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Ed Helms Talks FBI Break-ins and Government Surveillance

Episode Date: September 8, 2024

Actor, writer, producer, and former Daily Show correspondent Ed Helms joins Michael Kosta to discuss the new season of his podcast SNAFU, which recounts the FBI break-in that exposed the FBI’s excessive surveillance tactics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Stewart here, unbelievably exciting news. My new podcast, The Weekly Show, we're gonna be talking about the election, economics, ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. You're listening to Comedy Central. Hey, this is Roy Chang. The Daily Show is off this week, but don't worry. We put together some of our favorite moments from the show in case you miss them. We'll be the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their their th, their the the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. the, the. thea, thea', thea', thea', thea', thea', thea', thea', the. this week, but don't worry. We put together some of our favorite moments from the show in case you miss them. We'll be back with brand new shows on September 10th.

Until then, enjoy today's episode. Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is an actor, writer, producer, who hosts a podcast about history's greatest screw-ups called Snafu. Please welcome back, Ed Helms. Yes. All right. All right.

I have to say, John Stewart. Yes. All right. I have to say, John Stewart, you look incredible. Isn't that amazing? Thank you very much for that. I'll think it as a compliment. Yeah.

Because I watched John Stewart my whole life. And now I'm sitting in the chair that he sits on, occasionally on Mondays. Yeah. Let's talk about your podcasts and then we'll get into the Daily Show. I got to ask you about working here at the Daily Show, but your podcast second season is called Snafu. Yes. And it's about the break-in of the FBI offices. Yes. And the Washington reporter who reported on. Yes. What the fuck are you doing? I thought you worked in comedy. I just say yes. Yes. That's all I do in interviews. Yes. And the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the Washington. I the Washington. I the Washington. I the Washington. I the Washington. I the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the together. the together. together. the together. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the fuck are you doing, man? I thought you worked in comedy. I just say yes. Yes. That's all I do in interviews.

Yes, so, OK. It is a podcast about, it's called Snafu. It's about history's greatest screw-ups. Yeah, season one we talked about this incredible story about a NATO military exercise that almost, in 1983 that almost turned into a nuclear holocoast. a st a st st st st sticicicicic. And, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, and it, and it, and it, and it, and it, and it, and it, and it, and it, and it, and it, th. th. that almost turned into a nuclear holocaust stomach deal and it's really kind of actually darkly funny season two that's out now yeah we talk about these incredible activists in 1971 yeah who felt like the FBI was getting a little out of hand and starting to harass people and surveil people and they were right but they didn't have any way to prove it.

So they broke into an FBI office. They just broke into the FBI. And it's as hard as it sounds. And they stole a bunch of documents and they started to leak them to a reporter at the Washington Post named Betty Medsker who was very courageous and published them. Yes. And then years later, by the way, this all led to lots of fallout, the the church committee hearings, which then led to congressional oversight of the FBI and the CIA and the NSA and all these things. So it's a very, very big deal what these people did. It's largely forgotten, sadly.

But Betty Medsker then wrote a book in 2014, and that's what that is, the burglary. And it's an incredible story. 40% of the case files that the crew stole dealt with surveillance of legal political activity. Correct. It's like, I know, but, but, but, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I know, I, I, I know, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. 1% covered organized crime. Right. It's like, what? I know.

And by the way, I don't really know, but I feel like that could also pertain to today's date. Well, it's just, it's like, that was when J.G. Can I read you another one, even though it's your podcast? Yes. One document revealed that every black that's, I thia. thia. thia. tha. tha. tha, I, I thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. thi. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. th. th. th. th. tho, I th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, to, to, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to thi. thi. thi. And, I under FBI surveillance. I mean what the fuck is going on? Yeah. Basically if if Jay Edgar Hoover thought that you were like some hooligan, which was anyone who opposed the Vietnam War, anyone involved in the civil rights movement, and anyone with long hair. Yeah. Like or a tie that one I get. Sure. And anyone with long hair. Yeah.

Or that one I get. Sure. You get that. Yeah, of course. If Jayd Grover thought you were like a problem for society, he was going to surveil and harass you. And the entire FBI apparatus was going to do that too. And thankfully these burglars proved that was happening. And it was fixed for a little while. And then there was the Patriot Act and all kinds of the Cold War and lots of other complicating factors. But it is still, it's an important question to always be asking. Like, are we protecting our civil liberties enough?

Does law enforcement have enough power? Probably, where's the line? But Ed? But Ed, I don't do anything wrong? I don't care if they tap into my computer. Same here, Ed. What's the big deal? I put a piece of scotch tape over my webcam when I masturbate.

It doesn't matter. What does it matter? You masturbate? Oh my gosh, let's talk about this. Uh, I'm just, I'm just doing, I'm just doing, first of all, I want to go on the record and say I do not masturbate. And that was, no, but that is a kickback response, I can envision someone saying, I don't have anything to hide. What's the big deal about surveillance? So, what is the big, th th th th th th th th th th th th th th the the th the, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let's th th th th th th th- th- th- th- that, let's that, let's that, let's that, let's tho, let's tho- th th th, let's th, let's th let's th let's th let's th let's th let's th let's th let's th let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let's the, let's thi thi, let's that, let's that, let's that, let's that, let's that, let's that, let's that, let's that, let's that, let's that, let's that, let's that, let's that't have anything to hide. What's the big deal about surveillance? So what is the big deal about surveillance?

And you're right, I think a lot of people ask that with it just when it comes up, when law enforcement power comes up, like yeah I'm not doing anything wrong. But what the problem with surveillance when it's done on such a huge scale and you're surveilling people who are not doing anything wrong, it then becomes leverage over you that you have no control over it. And so if for any reason the FBI or some institution wants to implicate you for any reason, they suddenly have the leverage to do so whether or not you've done something wrong, and that's very scary and it's not okay. Talk about, because this this this was fascinating to me the to me to me th th th th th. th. th. th, th, th, th, thi thi thi thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thin, thi thin, thee thi thi thin, the the the theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, thi, thi, thi have the leverage to do so, whether or not you've done something wrong. And that's very scary and it's not okay. Talk about, because this was fascinating to me, they burglarized the FBI office and they

sent these copies of files out to a lot of different people. But only one of them, this woman was courageous enough to report. What was that like for her? That's a great question. So Betty Medskir was a very young reporter at the Washington Post. She receives this envelope. It's full of FBI files. She's like, what the hell with this? Meanwhile, the burglars also sent copies of the files, as you mentioned, to some senators? And some other reporters, the senators immediately turned them over to senators and some other reporters. The senators immediately turned them over to the FBI.

The other reporters chickened out. But Betty Medsker and the sort of brass at the Washington Post, which later, of course, Woodward and Bernstein, Watergate, and the Pentagon papers, that all came after this. But they were courageous enough to put this out here. And really, Betty Medsker is a force of nature. For sure. And she's in the podcast.

She worked with us to tell this story. She's great in the pocket. She tells the story of, after this got published, the article, not the book, she picked up the phone to call her friend, and the FBI is just on the line, saying, what are you doing? Yeah. So that's, okay.

So this is exactly what the burglars were trying to call out. This is why I put scotch tape on my computer. Is this why gets published in the New York Times, she picks up her phone like, the next day. And so there's a voice on her phone that says, who are you trying to call? So messed up. What? Yeah, messed up.

It's great. It's a great listen. It's fun. You're somehow funny. So good job. Speaking of Funny, the Office, the Hangover, The Daily Show. I mean, what is that, what does that evoke, what does that evoke those images? Oh my gosh. Do you remember that state the Los Angeles green screen? Well sorry I mean on location

I was I was in a cocaine fever dream the whole time I don't know I have it's so fun to come back here I just love I've such fond memories yeah it's been like 18 years since I worked here. Holy shit, which is incredible. But I have to say, I've watched the show ever since I left. I still love it. And you guys, this crop of correspondence, you guys are crushing it. Thank you very much.

Right? Oh, this is. This is, if you, if you had to pick one. I'm just, I'm just kidding. Often times when I'm out in the field, doing something that is hard, doing a piece on the desk, being here. I always wonder, is this helping me somehow? Is this going to help me later? And should I

be focused in the present moment? Yes. Sure. But you come to me from the future, yes. And you've gone on to do all these great comedy things and now this season two of the podcast, the podcast now but what has helped you from the Daily Show as you moved on? Nothing? Yeah nothing. I will say I have a good answer to that question. Yes and it is the the Daily Show was my first like real comedy job and it taught me really through through John's example like the discipline and the focus and the hard work that it takes and some of the like the real like sweat that it takes to create good comedy or just good

product like it's hard work and that I've carried that with me for for years since then and this is where I started here we are that's great yeah that with me for years since then. And this is where I started. Here we are. That's great. That's awesome. Are there any field pieces you did that now would be considered an HR nightmare? Is there anything that comes to mind? Yes.

Anneigh. Yes. An HR nightmare, I think. Yeah, we actually have HR now. We actually have HR now. Okay, well there you go. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, there were no HR nightmares 20 years ago. Because of you.

Yeah. Oh, I have the reason that they have it now? But yeah, what comes to mind? Anything that's like, you know, Should I create a fresh HR nightmare by bringing them up? No, I have, gosh, I have so many great memories. I really loved going to the conventions, right? Are you guys headed to the... Yes, we are. We're going to Chicago. So exciting. And I had like, we have real press credentials. I remember this is...

This is really funny. We got to the Republican convention, which was at Madison Square Garden, just down the street, and we get to the security checkpoint, and Rob Cordry forgot his driver's license. And everyone had to have a picture ID. So we're like, oh God. And then he looks up, and Rob goes, uh, does that count as a picture ID. So we're like, oh God. And then he looks up and Rob goes, does that count as a picture ID? And Comedy Central had bought a giant billboard with all of our faces and our names right next to Madison Square Garden. It was the Indecision 2002 or 4 or whatever. And the security guard was like, yeah, I guess that's you.

Different time. for or whatever. And the security guard was like, yeah, I guess that's you. Different time. That's amazing. That's amazing that Comedy Central bought a billboard. Yes. Thank you for sitting down with it. You're one of my favorite. It's really great. Congratulations on Snap Food. New episodes of Snap Food. New episodes of Snap Food, Air Weekly on I-Heart Radio App and Everywhere Podcasts I heard at Helm. Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe by searching The Daily Show, wherever

you get your podcasts. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Podcasts. John Stewart here. the unbelievably exciting news. My new podcast. John Stewart here. The Weekly Show. We're going to be talking about the election. Economics.

Ingredient to Bread Ratio on sandwiches. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart. Wherever you get your podcast.