Rewind: Bohemian Grove

This July, we’re revisiting five classic topics in our Conspiracy Theories: Rewind series! This week: Every summer, members and guests of the exclusive and elusive Bohemian Club meet in a vast redwood grove in Monte Rio, California. Between the towering trees and the secretive nature of their summer retreat, one thing seems certain: Bohemian Grove is shady, Hundreds of influential and ultra-wealthy men drink together, under the watchful eye of a 40-foot owl statue, every year. The question is: What else happens there? And what don’t they want us to know? Help us reach 10k followers on Instagram! @⁠theconspiracypod⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• 0:06Speaker 00

  The town of Monta Rio, California, is nestled along the Russian River, near a vast grove of redwood trees. To even call it a town, maybe overselling its size, with fewer than 1,200 residents, it's more like a village. But every summer, for about two weeks in July, the population doubles, or even triples. That's when an influx of visitors descends on 2,700 acres of private, well-guarded campgrounds: Bohemian Grove. Carved into a towering tree on the property is the likeness of Saint John of Nepomuk. He raises a finger to his lips to warn all who enter:

• 0:49Speaker 00

  "What happens here stays here." In life, John of Nepomuk died, keeping the sins of the Queen of Bohemia a secret. And presumably, anyone who wants to play in the grove, or get inducted into the club, should be willing to die to keep its secrets safe. Which is why we only know so much about what goes on at Bohemian Grove each year. According to reports, it involves up to 2,000 of our planet's most influential men running through the redwood forest, drinking, putting on plays, carrying out rituals, smoking cigars,

• 1:34Speaker 00

  all while deciding the future of our world. Welcome to Conspiracy Theories, a Spotify podcast. I'm Carter Roy. New episodes come out every Wednesday. We would love to hear from you. So if you're listening on the Spotify app, swipe up and give us your thoughts, or check us out on Instagram at the conspiracy pod. This July, we're taking another look at five fan favorite topics as part of our series we're calling Conspiracy Theories Rewind. For our final week, we're peering beyond the gates of Bohemian Grove to examine old and new evidence: who has attended? What they really do there?

• 2:18Speaker 00

  And how they've used their connections to tighten their grasp on the reins of power? Since we last covered this story in 2020, there have been some pretty wild updates. In February 2026, independent journalist Dan Boguslaw publishes a list of everyone who attended the festivities back in 2023. It's mostly wealthy men, who many of us have never heard of before, but there are some curious names on that list. For instance, Conan O'Brien? Jimmy Buffett? What are they doing there? It's admittedly humorous, but as reporters comb through Dan's list, they find disturbing links between attendees.

• 3:03Speaker 00

  These are some of the most powerful businessmen and politicians in the country. And it all suggests one thing: Bohemian Grove is a place where big decisions get made. And where the powerful band together to stay in power, while the rest of us aren't invited. This episode includes discussions of human sacrifice and alcohol use. Consider this when deciding how and when you'll listen. Stay with us. This episode is brought to you by 7up. Ever notice lemon is everywhere? Lemon recipes, lemon album names, lemon yellow fashion. And when it comes to lemon lime sodas?

• 3:48Speaker 00

  Why is lemon always first? There's a reason. A shadowy organization called The Lemonati has been keeping Big Lemon on top of the soda world for decades. But the sip is about to be flipped. 7up is fighting back, swapping lemon lime for their new Lime Lemon Soda. Now lime comes first. 7up: Flip the Sip. This episode is brought to you by Petivity. Every cat has a few unsolved mysteries. Why the 3 a.m. zoomies? What's so fascinating about that one empty box? And at mealtime,

• 4:32Speaker 00

  are they actually eating differently, or does it just seem that way? The new Petivity Smart Feeder for cats turns everyday meals into meaningful health insights, helping you identify changes in your cat's habits and be more proactive about their health. Take the mystery out of mealtime. Visit petivity.com/catfeeder to learn more.

• 5:00Speaker 01

  Observe: The North American Dad. 50s, great polo collection. He enters his vehicle information on Carvana. An offer appears in minutes. Remarkable. He squints, reads it again, smiles and says, "Dang, that's a good offer." The highest form of approval. No haggling, no hassle. No one called him "boss." He's still on the couch. Astonishing. Sell your car today on carvana.com. Pickup fees may apply.

• 5:32Speaker 00

  Hidden deep within a redwood forest, about 70 miles or so north of San Francisco, there's a gate. Signs are posted everywhere. Private property, no trespassing. Security cameras line the trees. Guards man the outpost at all hours, blocking the main entrance. The Bohemian Club has made one thing crystal clear: if you are caught on their land, they will have you arrested. And, well, technically, they have every right to do so. The club owns the 2,700-acre plot of land beyond the gate. But it's exactly this level of security and secrecy that gives rise to suspicion: what happens inside Bohemian Grove?

• 6:17Speaker 00

  And more importantly, why don't they want the world to know what they're up to? Here's what we can say for sure: Every July, Bohemian Grove serves as the base of operations for the Bohemian Club's exclusive gathering. To get in, you must either be a member of the 150-year-old secret organization, or you can visit as an invited guest. Now, of course, joining the Bohemian Club is not cheap. The initiation fee alone is rumored to be $25,000. That's before your annual dues. And money alone won't gain you entry. In order to be considered, you must be recommended by a number of its members,

• 7:00Speaker 00

  lest your name be relegated to the waitlist, which is said to be at least 15 years long. Oh, and one more thing. To get in on the action, you have to be a man. No women are allowed to join in the festivities. It's believed there are roughly 2,500 active members of the Bohemian Club, most of whom are wealthy, white, and conservative. Some are lesser-known rich guys, but there have also been a handful of well-known politicians and celebrities in attendance over the years. Now, you might recognize some of these names. There's Hearst, Roosevelt, Eastwood,

• 7:43Speaker 00

  Twain, Bush, Cronkite, Coors, Cheney, Crosby, London, Reagan, Nixon, Ford, Muir, Powell, Rumsfeld, Schwab, Hoover, Bloomberg, Coke, and Kissinger. Well, you need to hear that list again? Okay, one more time. Hearst, Roosevelt, Eastwood, Twain, Bush, Cronkite, Coors, Cheney, Crosby, London, Reagan, Nixon, Ford, Muir, Powell, Rumsfeld, Schwab, Hoover, Bloomberg, Coke, and Kissinger. That's a lot of recognizable names, but again, membership is not easy to come by. In fact, it's so difficult to secure that even our current sitting president, Donald Trump, has reportedly never been invited to the summer retreat at Bohemian Grove.

• 8:28Speaker 00

  In order to get a sense of just how far the club has come, let's travel back to its founding in San Francisco in 1872. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Bohemianism is trending in a big way. Hence the club's name. A Bohemian lifestyle means taking pleasure in art, revelry, and hedonism, and is often associated with frugality, impoverishment, and an anti-establishment worldview. Think of the classic starving artist: actors, writers, painters, and musicians who pride themselves on being untethered to worldly possessions.

• 9:12Speaker 00

  In theory, Bohemians are often spiritual. In practice, however, what they really worship is indulgence. In 1872, in a dimly lit room in San Francisco, a group of journalists entranced by this lifestyle began hosting gatherings for like-minded men interested in the arts. They call themselves "The Bohemian Club." It's mostly an excuse to drink while raging against the conservative politics of the day. Eventually, the club will establish its headquarters in a building in the Tenderloin in San Francisco, but it's Bohemian Grove out in Monterrio that they'll really become famous for.

• 9:57Speaker 00

  When the club holds its first retreat there in 1878, they have to rent the land. A few years later, they buy their first 160 acres and keep adding to it over time. So, how do they afford it? How do they go from this small liberal group to, well, the kind of people who attend Bohemian Grove today? Money. It's not long before the club's founders and their penchant for partying catch the attention of other bargoers, men who see the good time they're having and want in. Oh, sure, these new attendees also love hedonism, but that's kind of where the similarities end. They're not Bohemians at all.

• 10:42Speaker 00

  They are accepted into the club because they're rich and they can foot the bill. And, well, maybe the founding members were never really Bohemian anyway. Reportedly, they wanted to emulate a version of the starving artist that rubs elbows with the elite. Just to keep things straight, the artists dub their new friends "men of use" and refer to themselves as "men of talent." The titles almost suggest a hierarchy of priorities. Talent comes first, and money is just a convenience. But whatever their priorities were, they seem to shift as the artists realize just

• 11:23Speaker 00

  how much money can actually buy, like the land in Monterrio. The parties become more lavish and therefore more desirable, which allows the club to become more selective about who they let in. They raise the bar for membership and start collecting hefty dues and fees. The club seems to shed all of their Bohemian ideals, except one: their love of partying. Even though everything they do is shrouded in secrecy, we know a little bit about what goes on at Bohemian Grove. We know what the layout looks like. There are more than 100 different campsites on the grounds, as well as a few main gathering areas.

• 12:07Speaker 00

  There's the Grove's stage, a 2,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, the Campfire Circle, a large fire pit surrounded by benches carved from redwoods, and the Clubhouse, a multipurpose entertainment and dining facility. They're situated around the Grove's central feature, a man-made lake. Watching over the lake, at the heart of it all, is a 40-foot concrete owl statue, weathered from age. The facility's only account for a small portion of the Grove's land, though. Members and guests are free to roam about the forested grounds and lose themselves among the trees.

• 12:51Speaker 00

  There, within the freedom of the forest, far from witnesses or worry, the debaucheries of the Bohemian Club become the stuff of legend. And as the mythos grows, it piques the interest of some powerful figures. In the early 20th century, attendees start to include men like President Herbert Hoover. And, well, anytime more attention is paid to the Grove, privacy measures increase. All forms of cameras, videos, and tape recordings are banned. Everything that happens in the Grove is now entirely off the record.

• 13:32Speaker 00

  Its members and guests are sworn to secrecy. The press becomes a distinctly unwelcome guest. I wonder what the founding members, journalists, would have to say about that. By 1930, a total media blackout begins, and even the official story becomes hearsay. Except for the financial records. Thanks to the group's status as a 501(c)(7) social organization, meaning they are considered a tax-exempt nonprofit, their finances have to be made available to the public. And those records highlight the irony of the group's Bohemian roots.

• 14:17Speaker 00

  According to ProPublica, the Bohemian Club's total revenue for 2024 was just over $14 million. It's unclear where that money comes from, but possibly it's their heavy dues. Their total assets stand at over $44 million. And that's just what is reported to the IRS. It's interesting to note that their numbers remain suspiciously consistent over the years, except in 2019, when their revenue jumps to $22.3 million before declining again. I guess the pandemic hit them pretty hard, too. Poor guys. The thing is, when CEOs, CFOs, and financial executives like billionaire Charles Schwab

• 15:02Speaker 00

  are members of the club, some question what wealth the Bohemians are hiding overseas or what tax breaks they're able to secure. After all, some of them helped write the laws. With all of the powerful and well-connected members attending what amounts to a sleepaway camp for rich guys, it's no wonder that the public wants to know what really goes on at the Grove. What are those guys doing for two-plus weeks in the middle of the woods? And there is some cause for concern, because now we know about a top-secret meeting that once took place there at the Riverside Clubhouse, and it changed the course of history.

• 15:47Speaker 00

  It's September 1942. This is the offseason for the Grove, but the vast property comes in handy year-round. The hosts are J. Robert Oppenheimer, a chemist from the University of California Physics Department, and E. O. Lawrence from the UC Radiation Lab. In attendance are James Conant, the president of Harvard University, Lyman Briggs, the director of the National Bureau of Standards, Edgar V. Murphy, the director of the Standard Oil Company, Arthur H. Compton, a representative from General Electric, and representatives from the United States Army. Over the course of two days, they plan a new government venture, one that will cost

• 16:30Speaker 00

  the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom the equivalent of almost $30 billion. Research and development for the program will take place in 30 different laboratories across the world. This meeting is the earliest stage of the Manhattan Project, the initiative responsible for the creation of the first nuclear weapons. Today, the fact that the meeting took place on the club's grounds is allegedly a source of pride, a story passed down from elder members to new inductees. But there is something unsettling about the fact that major plans and policies can take shape within the confines of the Grove.

• 17:14Speaker 00

  In whispers between members of a boys-only secret society, the birth of the Manhattan Project only proves it has happened before. That's why people theorize that every July at Bohemian Grove, more big decisions are being made between powerful members, decisions that could affect our daily lives, and probably not for the better. Only, we won't know about these changes until it's too late, because we aren't meant to know what happens in the Grove. Which is exactly why people try to infiltrate the campgrounds, to find out what's really

• 17:58Speaker 00

  going on there each summer. Over the years, a few individuals even succeed at sneaking into the seemingly impenetrable Bohemian Grove. Thanks to their reports, we've learned about the bizarre rituals that go on there, which some suggest may have pagan or even satanic roots.

• 18:21Speaker 02

  Stay cozy and look cool with up to 60% off cold weather gear at Nordstrom Rack. Save on cashmere, outerwear, boots, and more from brands like Ugg, Vince, Kohan, and Hunter. Join the Nordy Club for free to unlock exclusive discounts, shop clearance, and new arrivals first, and more. Plus, buy online and pick up at your favorite Rack store for free. Great brands, great prices. That's why you Rack.

• 18:53Speaker 03

  If you're building AI agents, you should check out Strands Agents. It's an open-source SDK for Python and TypeScript. The idea is simple: give a model some tools, let it decide what to call and when, and loop until it's done. No chain configs, no graph orchestration, and works with any model provider. It's also open-source and built and tested for production agents. Get started at strandsagents.com.

• 19:20Speaker 00

  After a media blackout beginning sometime around the 1930s, little is known about what actually happens inside Bohemian Grove. And for about 50 years, well, little attention is paid to it. The only outsiders allowed inside its gates are employees. And the all-male staff members are sworn to secrecy and relegated to designated work areas like kitchens and laundry rooms, hidden from sight. Few play any active role in the events, except... A lot of these employees are locals from Monterrio, a town that one resident describes as "the poorest town in Sonoma County." Now, I don't want to give you the wrong impression here.

• 20:03Speaker 00

  Monterrio is full of small-town charm and gorgeous scenery, but other than the Grove, the most memorable landmark is a roadside bar called The Pink Elephant, and "The Pink" has been basically closed down since 2009. Compare that with the unimaginable wealth represented at the Grove. It's hard not to notice the disparity. So even in the years when the general public is unaware of what's going on at the Grove, it's no real secret to the people of Monterrio, including activist Mary Moore. Around 1980, Mary, a local resident who lives very close to the Grove,

• 20:48Speaker 00

  begins to question what's really going on in her backyard. In Mary's words, "When powerful people work together, they become even more powerful." They're wealthy and becoming more so, while the middle class is steadily becoming poorer. Mary views the secrecy of the Bohemian Club as an assault on democracy. With so many elected officials in the Grove, she believes the American people have a right to know what conversations are happening, especially if they might be affecting public policy. And when she can't get any straight answers, she takes action.

• 21:30Speaker 00

  Mary helps establish a group called the Bohemian Grove Action Network, or the BGAN. She convinces Grove employees to secretly bring her materials, like programs and membership lists. Her house fills up with knickknacks and pamphlets. Anything she can get her hands on from the club, she keeps. And these are all pieces to a larger story. And the more she learns, the more worried she becomes. The names on the membership lists are astonishing, so much so that the Bohemian Grove Action Network begins organizing protests. At some of their largest demonstrations, hundreds of people join Mary at the gates of the Grove.

• 22:13Speaker 00

  In 1984, the group decides if they can't keep the Bohemian Club out, they'll try to trap them in the Grove. That way, they can't go forth and enact whatever devious plans they're making at their retreat. In the end, about 50 protesters are arrested, but the BGAN and Mary accomplish something huge. They bring so much unwanted attention to the club that the press finally starts to take notice. And suddenly, more people get curious. Allegedly in the early 80s, Mary and the BGAN help four journalists sneak into the Grove.

• 22:55Speaker 00

  According to a report in a local civil disobedience newspaper, reporters from Time Magazine and NPR posed as waiters. And though the Time journalist wrote an article about what they discovered, the piece was apparently killed and never printed. Then, in 1989, a reporter for Spy Magazine named Philip Weiss manages to find his way in. And his article is published for all the world to read. It's titled "Masters of the Universe Go to Camp: Inside Bohemian Grove." Philip explains how he gets in. Not by masquerading as an employee, nope.

• 23:40Speaker 00

  Mary Moore drives him up to the campgrounds, where he meets up with a mountain guide. That way, the writer is able to find an alternate route inside, where he poses as an invited guest. See, if he had to pretend to be a waiter the whole time, he would have to stay out of everyone's way. He'd miss the real story. This way, he can blend right in with all the Reaganites, as he calls them. He dons chinos and topsiders. He uses his real name. But if anybody asks questions, he invents details here and there. Like a newborn son, he claims he named after Ronald Reagan.

• 24:21Speaker 00

  For seven days, Philip hides in plain sight and manages to get the real dirt about what goes on at the Grove. One day, he witnesses what's known as a lakeside talk. Every afternoon during the event, one of the club's members addresses other members about a topic in their field of expertise. Generally, the talks cover politics, the economy, and business. Philip hears a speech delivered by General John Chain. At the time, Chain is the Commander in Chief of the United States Strategic Air Command.

• 25:02Speaker 00

  Chain lobbies club members to help fund a B-2 aerial bomber program. And whether it's thanks to his lakeside talk or not, we know it later gets funded. In fact, the same year he gives his talk, an estimated $23 billion are spent on the program. Other highlights of Philip's undercover operation include talking to one of the most esteemed guests that year, the former president himself, Ronald Reagan. Philip also watches a play staged by members of the club, and these aren't thrown together at the last minute. They can be pretty elaborate.

• 25:45Speaker 00

  The one-time production that Philip watches reportedly costs $75,000. It's also filled with raunchy misogynistic jokes. And since only men are allowed, club members perform in drag. One even portrays a character named Bubbles Boobenheim. Philip's article mentions other intriguing details, like 7:00 AM gin cocktails, widespread intoxication, general merriment, and lots and lots of outdoor urination. Despite the gravity of General John Chain's speech about the B-2 bombers,

• 26:29Speaker 00

  Philip mainly witnesses a lot of lowbrow behavior from America's power class. He ultimately refers to the event as "the most exclusive frat party on Earth." But not every journalist has such a benign visit to Bohemian Grove. In 1991, a reporter for People Magazine named Dirk Matheson sneaks in, three times. He says that at one lakeside talk, a former secretary of the Navy cited 200,000 Iraqi deaths in the first six months of the Gulf War, a figure that wasn't disclosed to the public.

• 27:10Speaker 00

  Dirk claims another talk was titled "America's Health Revolution: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Pays." It was co-led by Dick Cheney, who goes on to be Vice President under George W. Bush. According to Dirk Matheson, his piece was originally greenlit by his editor. Once it's written, it gets a ton of buzz around the office. The magazine even plans to add extra page space for his article. But then, his piece is suddenly killed. Dirk's editor says it's simply because he realized too late that he'd inadvertently given his employee permission to trespass on private land.

• 27:52Speaker 00

  But Dirk points out another theory. On his last trip into the Grove, his cover was blown when he ran into an executive for Time Warner. At the time, Time Warner owns People Magazine. The executive actually recognized Dirk and had him forcibly removed from the property. So it seems for a while like Philip Weiss's article is the only modern, in-depth account we're going to get. And then, in July 2000, talk show, radio host, and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones infiltrates the Grove.

• 28:34Speaker 00

  At first, he tries to blend in, out in the open, much like Philip did. But he says the Secret Service approaches him. They don't have him thrown out. They just want to know who he is and who he came with. Worrying that someone might be on to him, Alex claims he spends the next few hours hiding under the deck of a cabin, waiting for night to fall. The whole time, he's surrounded by spiders and bugs. In the end, he manages to film one of the club's biggest rituals. It's called "The Cremation of Care." Now, Philip Weiss had covered this event in his article in 1989. It's like an opening ceremony,

• 29:18Speaker 00

  a kickoff event held at the start of the annual retreat. "At sunset, in the heart of the Grove, in front of the 40-foot owl statue, a high priest and his priest's underlings gather in colorful, silken robes. They carry with them something called 'The Crypt of Dull Care,' an effigy that they burn. This, they say, is meant to symbolize letting go of their cares tied to the world outside the Grove, to drop all pretense, to let their manners fall away, and forget about the stress of daily life." You know, boys just want to have fun. While the performance changes a little bit each year,

• 30:02Speaker 00

  it usually involves the giant owl statue speaking to the attendees, guiding them on how to properly cremate care. When Philip Weiss watches the ceremony, the owl is voiced by club member and legendary broadcaster Walter Cronkite. For those who don't know, this is what Walter Cronkite sounds like when he's doing an interview.

• 30:29Speaker 04

  The future will be whatever man wants it to be. And we have the power to make our world the way we want it pretty well.

• 30:36Speaker 00

  Now, that is one serious sounding owl. But Philip's take on the whole cremation of care is that it's kind of a silly sight to behold. Attendees sit around on a lawn, watching, puffing away at cigars and sporadically yelling, "Huzzah!" The members regard all of this in earnest, but Philip, not so much. The same ceremony is caught on tape 11 years later. Now, no matter how you feel about Alex Jones, and I'm sure we all have feelings about Alex Jones, the footage he captures does appear to be real. He hides his camera inside a fanny pack with a hole cut out for the lens.

• 31:20Speaker 00

  On Alex's tape, you can see and hear the high priest broadcast through speakers all around. He begins with the words, "The owl is in his leafy temple. Let all within the grove be reverent before him. Lift up your heads, oh ye trees, and be ye lift up, ye ever-living spires, for behold, here is Bohemia's shrine, and holy are the pillars of this house. Weaving spiders, come not here." "Weaving spiders, come not here." That's the motto in the Grove, the creed, the testament.

• 32:01Speaker 00

  Leave business at home, which, as we know, they don't tend to follow. Alex Jones describes the cremation of care as highly theatrical. It's druidic, it's Faustian. And he says watching the ceremony feels like watching an occult ritual. Immediately following the ceremony, the members of the Bohemian Club run amok, celebrating and drinking. The after-party has been described as a bacchanal, an ancient celebration of the Roman deity Bacchus, the god of wine, ecstasy, ritual madness, and theater. Based on these firsthand accounts, the cremation of care sounds like a lot of pomp and circumstance,

• 32:46Speaker 00

  the kind of stuff a bunch of aging, skull-and-bones types might enjoy. But this ritual is also at the heart of conspiracy theories about Bohemian Grove. First, there's the accusation that the club is practicing pagan rituals. So let's discuss what paganism actually means. It's not as clear-cut as you might think. Generally, paganism isn't defined by what it is, but by what it's not. It's a term that encompasses any beliefs that fall outside the major world religions. It first appeared in the 4th century as a pejorative term used by Christians to describe polytheists,

• 33:29Speaker 00

  those who believed in more than one god. It was essentially synonymous with "uncivilized." Today, the word pagan conjures different imagery, depending on who you talk to. It applies to wiccans, Satanists, shamanists, as well as atheists and agnostics. The beliefs of pagan religions vary widely, though many share a couple of commonalities, like recognizing the divine in nature, equality and fluidity amongst genders, the importance of music, and a lack of official doctrine or formal institution.

• 34:10Speaker 00

  In general, the ethos of most pagan religions can be summarized as, "If it harms no one, then do what you will." The Bohemian Club really does seem to incorporate a few very specific elements of pagan belief. First of all, there's the location. They gather in the redwood forests. They are in and among nature, away from society, and showing reverence to the woods. And then there's the drinking, the ecstasy, the theatrics, the ritual madness. And maybe the most convincing evidence of paganism is their use of what could be considered false idols, like the owl. But that's about it.

• 34:54Speaker 00

  I mean, does peeing on trees really make me think of respecting nature? A little bit. I grew up in Montana. I did pee on a lot of trees. And I find it a little funny that these guys think you have to like fly across the country and spend all this money just to take a leak in the woods. Bottom line is, anybody worried about pagan rituals in Bohemian Grove might not realize how broad that term really is, or that pagan isn't synonymous with harmful or evil. Other accusations regarding the cremation of care, however, are much more sinister. Questions have been raised about whether Bohemian Grove

• 35:35Speaker 00

  has been the site of real torture and human sacrifice, about whether the effigy burned at the ceremony has, at times, been a real body. But truthfully, there has never been any compelling evidence to back up this theory. We have the reports of people like Philip Weiss and Alex Jones. If they'd witnessed something that dark, there is no doubt they would have reported on it. So paganism? Eh, maybe a little bit. Human sacrifice? Probably not. But that doesn't mean that what happens within the Grove isn't terrifying. Remember their motto, "Weaving spiders, come not here."

• 36:20Speaker 00

  It's a line from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." At face value, it means, "Don't bring your outside concerns and business to the Grove." But if that's the case, it almost seems to be in direct contrast to the types of conversations that are actually happening inside. That might be why some think there's a different interpretation to be made of "weaving spiders, come not here." It could instead mean that lies are not welcome within the camp, that you can be yourself, that you can speak freely, that you can be honest about who you really are and what you really want to accomplish. And there's a convincing argument to be made

• 37:05Speaker 00

  that this particular group of the world's most powerful men do not have everyone's best interests at heart.

• 37:17Speaker 05

  So good, so good, so good.

• 37:19Speaker 02

  Stay cozy and look cool with up to 60% off cold weather gear at Nordstrom Rack. Save on cashmere, outerwear, boots, and more from brands like Ugg, Vans, Kohan, and Hunter. Join the Nordy Club for free to unlock exclusive discounts, shop clearance and new arrivals first, and more. Plus, buy online and pick up at your favorite Rack store for free. Great brands, great prices. That's why you Rack.

• 37:46Speaker 03

  If you're building AI agents, you should check out Strands Agents. It's an open-source SDK for Python and TypeScript. The idea is simple. Give a model some tools, let it decide what to call and when, and loop until it's done. No chain configs, no graph orchestration, and works with any model provider. It's also open-source and built and tested for production agents. Get started at strandsagents.com.

• 38:13Speaker 00

  In 2024, after driving cross-country, independent journalist Dan Boguslaw arrives in the Bay Area. He's there to see one person, a potential source for a story he's working on about Bohemian Grove. And he's not even sure this source will be willing to help him out. Recently, Dan got ahold of a Bohemian Club membership list. It's from a few years ago, but now he's tracked down one of the members. His plan? Uh, keep showing up at this guy's office and pester him until he can get his hands on some juicier information? Maybe it's not the most technical plan ever concocted, but it works. Dan says it takes about a week

• 38:57Speaker 00

  before his anonymous source agrees to pass something along. Only, it takes a while to actually pull that off. Dan waits around town for weeks before he finally gets his hands on his prize, a list of attendees of the 2023 Bohemian Grove Retreat. And it seems like it's well worth the wait. The list goes on and on and on, arranged by camps with names like Cuckoo's Nest, Pig and Whistle, and Sky High. The list reveals the hundreds of men who took part in the club's summer festivities. Now, I should point out that this list has not been independently verified,

• 39:39Speaker 00

  but if it's legit, it holds some surprising revelations. Among the names on it are singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett of Margaritaville fame, and Conan O'Brien. When Dan publishes his findings, news outlets begin to pick up his story. Naturally, they focus on Jimmy and Conan, who kind of seem like outliers. They're celebrities, and Jimmy has been pretty vocal in opposing certain Republican leaders. For that same reason, many question what Paul Pelosi was doing at the Grove. His wife, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, doesn't exactly see eye to eye with some of the other, mainly conservative, attendees.

• 40:23Speaker 00

  Then again, the retreat does focus on theatrical performances, which probably explains Jimmy and Conan's presence. As for Paul's, well... Dan Boguslaw works with the team at More Perfect Union to put together a mini-documentary. Journalist Sean Morrow points out that Paul Pelosi is far from being the only Democratic supporter who attended Bohemian Grove. And perhaps the uncomfortable truth for us is that sometimes the elite put class over party.

• 40:58Speaker 00

  Using the list Dan procured, Sean presents several more connections between club members to prove what he means. For example, the Bechtel family, they've been part of the Bohemian Club for years, and two Bechtels appear on the list from 2023. Their family company is sometimes hailed as the largest construction firm in the United States. They've done tons of major projects. Ever heard of the Hoover Dam, the BART in San Francisco, the Channel Tunnel, aka the Chunnel, connecting the UK and France? Their work appears all over the world, and they don't just build dams and transportation

• 41:40Speaker 00

  projects. They're involved in everything from data centers to water supply systems to environmental cleanup. Well, Sean Morrow points out that while the Bechtels were allegedly attending Bohemian Grove, so were people like Henry Kissinger, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Colin Powell. And regardless of what "weaving spiders come not here" might mean, there could be some handshake deals happening at the Grove, in Sean's view. At the very least, there's some palling around, or introductions being made. And Sean poses this possible

• 42:19Speaker 00

  connection as well. When the government needed someone to go in and rebuild Iraq after the war, Bechtel got the job. The gig ended up being a nightmare. Fifty-two of the company's employees were killed in Iraq. And of course, there's no law saying friends can't hire friends, or secret society members can't hire other secret society members. But it is probably fair to be concerned about the kind of deals that seem to get made, thanks to Bohemian Club connections. And that's not all. Sean provides archival documents, which he believes suggest that major policy decisions were affected by encounters at

• 43:03Speaker 00

  Bohemian Grove. From social security reforms, to slashing capital gains taxes, to founding the Heritage Foundation, as in the architects of Project 2025. All of these changes have had widespread implications. They affect our everyday lives. Not to mention, it's common for politicians to attend the Grove before they run for office. Philip Weiss wrote in Spy Magazine that Richard Nixon showed up the summer before he ran for president. Again, if these conversations are happening at the Grove, technically, there's nothing

• 43:46Speaker 00

  unlawful about it. It's more a question of ethics, especially when Bohemian Grove is thrust into the news in 2023 with another name in the spotlight. That year, ProPublica breaks a story about sitting Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. They present evidence that for years, he's been taking luxury vacations funded by billionaire Harlan Crowe. And these are vacations which Justice Thomas did not disclose. After ProPublica's report is published, Thomas amends his disclosures to include parts of some of those trips, including one

• 44:30Speaker 00

  to Bohemian Grove in 2019. Once again, the retreat is caught up in this ethical question. Was Harlan Crowe given unfair access to one of the most powerful men in the country? And how many others at Bohemian Grove might be benefiting from that kind of access? We don't know for sure, but it makes sense why people are worried about what the elites get up to there every summer. As Sean Morrow puts it, "We're seeing a level of collusion among the ultra wealthy that seems almost unbeatable." However, Sean also points out

• 45:10Speaker 00

  that just as the powerful can band together, so can we. And there have been some promising wins against the club over the years. In 1986, Bohemian Grove is instructed that it must open employment opportunities to women. Members protested. That would make them less comfortable walking around nude and portraying female caricatures in their plays. It would, quote, "spoil some of the club members' fun." But a California state appeals court said, "Too bad, fellas. You have to hire women at the Grove, too." Welcome to

• 45:48Speaker 00

  the modern world. Of course, they still don't accept women into the club for membership. Current and former employees also sue the Grove alleging labor violations. The latest lawsuit in 2023 includes claims of severe wage theft. Valets say they were expected to work 16-hour shifts without breaks, and then were only paid for half of that time. And since 2015, there have been three class-action lawsuits total, by our count, all of which resulted in settlements paid to the plaintiffs. Others show their defiance by continuing

• 46:30Speaker 00

  to sneak into the Grove. In January 2011, reporters for History Channel's Decoded were arrested for trespassing. Allegedly, they were held on bail for nine hours before being released. Some attempts at infiltration have been virtual. Hackers have retrieved photos from emails of club members like Colin Powell. In 2012, Occupy Bohemian Grove protesters gathered at its front gates. In response, dozens of police in riot gear lined the entrance to prevent anyone from going inside. After a speech from activist Cindy Sheehan, one

• 47:10Speaker 00

  of the protesters, an elderly man, got into a heated argument with a police officer. He was struck down, handcuffed, and arrested. But sometimes, it's the quieter forms of protest that make the biggest impact. To this day, Mary Moore collects all of the information about Bohemian Grove that she can get her hands on. It's largely thanks to her determination that we know anything at all about what goes on there. She spearheaded the movement that led to the investigative work of Philip Weiss and Dan Boguslaw. And she does it because she believes, when powerful people work together, they become even more

• 47:53Speaker 00

  powerful. But knowledge and persistence is our power. Perhaps, one day, Mary's protests will drag all of the secrets of the Bohemian Grove into the light.

• 48:16Speaker 00

  Thank you for listening to Conspiracy Theories Rewind. We're here with a new episode every Wednesday. Be sure to check us out on Instagram at the conspiracy pod. If you're watching on Spotify, swipe up and give us your thoughts. Our sources for today's episode include The Bohemian Grove and Other Retreats by G. William Domhoff, Philip Weiss's article, Masters of the Universe Go-To Camp Inside Bohemian Grove, and more Perfect Union's mini-documentary, We Uncovered the Most Infamous Secret Society and the Truth is Shocking, with reporting by Dan Boguslaw and Sean Morrow. Until next time, remember, the truth isn't always the

• 48:59Speaker 00

  best story. And the official story isn't always the truth. This episode was written and researched by Connor Sampson, edited by Mickey Taylor and Justin Sales, and engineered, video edited, and sound designed by Alex Button. I'm your host, Carter Roy.

• 49:31Speaker 03

  If you're building AI agents, you should check out Strands Agents. It's an open-source SDK for Python and TypeScript. The idea is simple. Give a model some tools, let it decide what to call and when, and loop until it's done. No chain configs, no graph orchestration, and works with any model provider. It's also open-source and built and tested for production agents. Get started at strandsagents.com.