Topic: Bertha Foundation

Clayton Swisher of Al Jazeera discussed "The Spy Cables," a massive digital leak originating from South African intelligence services. The documents reveal secret communications between global agencies, including CIA attempts to contact Hamas. The hosts note the involvement of the Bertha Foundation in funding related media projects and the potential Russian interest in the leaks.

Questions are raised regarding the authenticity of Laura Poitras's accounts of being detained and her funding sources. Poitras is partially financed by the Bertha Foundation, which has links to activist groups and indirectly to the Muslim Brotherhood. The narrative surrounding David Miranda's detention at Heathrow is scrutinized for perceived inconsistencies.

Research into the Bertha Foundation reveals it is funded by Tony Tabatznik, a billionaire who made his fortune in generic drugs before selling his company to Merck. The foundation primarily funds documentaries with anti-imperialist or pro-Palestinian themes, including works by Laura Poitras and Jeremy Scahill. Tabatznik is described as a "self-loathing Jew" by some critics due to his financial support for projects critical of Israeli policy.

The Bertha Foundation is identified as a major, secretive financial backer for WikiLeaks, Laura Poitras, and the film "Dirty Wars" by Jeremy Scahill. The foundation also funds Link TV and the Center for Constitutional Rights. Despite its influence, the organization's funding sources remain unknown, though it is linked to figures like Peter Gabriel and Harry Belafonte. The foundation's logo change from a flower to a gear is noted as potential communist symbolism.

The hosts conclude the episode with plans to further investigate the Bertha Foundation. They announce an upcoming show in Petaluma and sign off from their respective locations in Austin, Texas, and Northern Silicon Valley.

The hosts investigate the Bertha Foundation, which provides legal support for WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden through lawyer Jennifer Robinson. They identify Lara Tabatznik as the founder and CEO, noting the foundation's lack of transparency regarding its financiers. The organization funds various social activism projects and the Ubuntu Education Fund, but its ultimate source of wealth remains obscure.