Like or loathe her political opinions, Martha Mitchell was smart, brave, politically engaged and unafraid to speak out at a time when wives were expected to quietly blend into the background.

Risking not just her relationship but her reputation by denouncing the Nixon administration, she was repeatedly labelled ‘crazy’, ‘hysterical’ and an ‘alcoholic’ by those in power, (including her husband) as well as being held captive, assaulted and injected with drugs against her will.

At a time when women’s opinions held little value politically, Mitchell insisted on speaking her truth, but being publicly shut down and discredited by those in power meant her reputation remained sullied right up until her death in 1976.

The men involved in the nefarious scandal on the other hand, saw their careers go from strength to strength (Steve King, the FBI agent alleged to have held Mitchell against her will during the assault, was actually given a job in office in 2017). Mitchell’s legacy however, remains.

The ‘Martha Mitchell effect’ – when a psychiatrist or medical professional misinterprets a patient’s accurate perceptions of real events as ‘delusions’ – was named after her.

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