--- title: "Bob Woodward memoir names sources for 'The Brethren'" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/media/bob-woodward-memoir-names-sources-for-the-brethren" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/bob-woodward-memoir-names-sources-for-the-brethren" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/media/bob-woodward-memoir-names-sources-for-the-brethren.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/bob-woodward-memoir-names-sources-for-the-brethren" category: "Media" published: "2026-10-27T02:45:39.336Z" source_reported: "2026-10-27T01:28:26.095Z" updated: "2026-10-27T02:45:39.336Z" trust_score: 50 critic_score: 45 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-27T05:15:16.698955+00:00" --- # Bob Woodward memoir names sources for 'The Brethren' *New book 'Secrets' reveals identities of Supreme Court justices and others who provided information* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 50 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to Bob Woodward's memoir, with specific justices named in one report. - Craft 45 of 100, higher is better. The story is reported clearly, but lacks quotes from anyone affected or a right of reply. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. The presentation is measured, with headlines accurately reflecting the content of the reports. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Bob Woodward's new memoir, 'Secrets,' will reveal the identities of confidential sources from his career. - The book names five Supreme Court justices who provided information for his 1979 book 'The Brethren'. - Woodward also details how he obtained a 75-page case history concerning the U.S. v. Nixon deliberations. - The memoir also recounts an encounter with CIA Director William J. Casey. Bob Woodward is set to publish a new memoir titled "Secrets," which will identify confidential sources from his 55-year career. The book details how Woodward and Scott Armstrong interviewed five of the nine Supreme Court justices for their 1979 book "The Brethren," which examined the inner workings of the court under Chief Justice Warren Burger. At the time of "The Brethren's" publication, Woodward and Armstrong stated they had interviewed five justices and 170 former law clerks, but these sources were kept anonymous. Woodward writes in his memoir that people rarely shared secrets on the record, especially as events were unfolding. The five justices named in "Secrets" as sources for "The Brethren" are Potter Stewart, Lewis Powell, Byron White, Harry Blackmun, and William Rehnquist. All are now deceased. Woodward's memoir also recounts how he obtained a 75-page case history detailing the court's deliberations in the landmark 1974 U.S. v. Nixon case. Woodward learned of the document's existence from Steven Goldberg, a former law clerk. Goldberg initially refused to provide a copy, but Woodward persuaded him to read it aloud while Woodward took notes. Woodward then took the document, made a photocopy, and returned the original the next morning. The memoir also includes an account of an encounter with CIA Director William J. Casey. Woodward writes about entering Casey's room at Georgetown Hospital in 1987 and obtaining a bedside confession regarding the diversion of profits from arms sales behind the Iran-contra scandal. Woodward's 1987 book on the subject had faced accusations from some CIA leaders and Casey's widow that he had fabricated this encounter. ## Disagreement on sources for "The Brethren" Reason reports that Woodward's sources for "The Brethren" were "all the conservatives on the Court," noting that Woodward apparently did not speak with Justices Brennan, Marshall, or Stevens. Reason suggests that while Brennan may not have spoken directly to Woodward, one of Brennan's clerks may have leaked a critical document about the Watergate Tape Case. No other reports mention a disagreement about which justices spoke to Woodward. ## What the coverage left out None of the reports below mention the specific details of Bob Woodward's encounter with CIA Director William J. Casey, other than that it is included in the memoir. The full report from Reason provides details of this encounter, including the location and the nature of the confession obtained. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 67% (4) - Centre: 33% (2) - Right: 0% (0) 3 of 9 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-27T05:15:16.698955+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 11 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-27T05:30:09.988Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports from aljazeera.net, Newser, The Seattle Times, and The Washington Post highlighted that Bob Woodward is revealing confidential sources in his upcoming memoir "Secrets." These reports noted that the book covers his 55-year career and includes information about his investigations into Watergate and other files. The Seattle Times and The Washington Post mentioned that Woodward, 83, is "pulling back the curtain" on who helped him achieve his "monumental scoops." ### Centre - Centre-rated reports from Reason and Political Wire focused on Bob Woodward revealing the identities of Supreme Court justices who spoke to him for his 1979 book "The Brethren." Reason specifically named the five justices: Potter Stewart, Lewis Powell, Byron White, Harry Blackmun, and William Rehnquist. Both outlets also noted that Woodward's memoir "Secrets" exposes his own sources, as reported by The Washington Post. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 6 - unknown: 3 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [aljazeera.net](https://aljazeera.net/politics/2026/10/27/%d8%af%d9%87%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%b2-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b3%d9%84%d8%b7%d8%a9-%d8%a8%d9%88%d8%a8-%d9%88%d9%88%d8%af%d9%88%d8%b1%d8%af-%d9%8a%d9%83%d8%b4%d9%81-%d8%a3%d8%b3%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%b1) — Dallas Power Woodward Reveals Half a Century of Press Investigations. - [Utopia - you are standing in it!](https://utopiayouarestandinginit.com/2026/10/27/bob-woodward-reveals-he-spoke-with-justices-stewart-powell-white-blackmun-and-rehnquist-for-the-brethren) — Bob Woodward Reveals He Spoke With Justices Stewart, Powell, White, Blackmun, and Rehnquist for “The Brethren” - [Newser](https://newser.com/story/398829/woodward-reveals-sources-behind-a-famous-nixon-scene.html) — Woodward Reveals Sources Behind a Famous Nixon Scene - [Reason](https://reason.com/volokh/2026/10/26/bob-woodward-reveals-he-spoke-with-justices-stewart-powell-white-blackmun-and-rehnquist-for-the-brethren) — Bob Woodward Reveals He Spoke With Justices Stewart, Powell, White, Blackmun, and Rehnquist for "The Brethren" - [mediagazer.com](https://mediagazer.com/261026/p11) — Bob Woodward reveals in his upcoming memoir, Secrets, the identities of many confidential sources who provided classified info throughout his 55-year career (Craig Whitlock/Washington Post) - [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/10/26/bob-woodward-spills-his-secrets) — Bob Woodward Spills His ‘Secrets’ - [3 Quarks Daily](https://3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2026/10/bob-woodward-spills-his-secrets.html) — Bob Woodward spills his ‘Secrets’ - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/nation-world/bob-woodward-spills-his-secrets) — Bob Woodward spills his ‘Secrets’ in upcoming book - [The Washington Post](https://washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/10/26/bob-woodward-spills-secrets-his-journalism-career-new-memoir) — Bob Woodward spills his ‘Secrets’ ## Questions **What is Bob Woodward's new memoir called?** Bob Woodward's new memoir is titled "Secrets." It reveals the identities of confidential sources from his 55-year career as a journalist and author, including those who provided information for his earlier books and investigations. **Which Supreme Court justices did Bob Woodward interview for 'The Brethren'?** Bob Woodward's memoir "Secrets" names five Supreme Court justices who provided information for his 1979 book "The Brethren." These justices were Potter Stewart, Lewis Powell, Byron White, Harry Blackmun, and William Rehnquist. All are now deceased. **How did Bob Woodward obtain the case history for U.S. v. Nixon?** Woodward obtained a 75-page case history of the U.S. v. Nixon deliberations from Steven Goldberg, a former law clerk. After Goldberg initially refused to provide a copy, Woodward persuaded him to read it aloud, during which time Woodward took notes and later made a photocopy of the document. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. 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