Espionage

CIA Whistleblower Says Only Person Jailed for Torture Program Was Him

Jack Neel · John Kiriakou: "He Sold Us Secrets!" How Jefferey Epstein Ran Mossad, MI6, and The CIA│Jack Neel · June 10, 2026

Jack Neel

John Kiriakou: "He Sold Us Secrets!" How Jefferey Epstein Ran Mossad, MI6, and The CIA│Jack Neel

"Exactly zero. I was the only person in any way associated with the torture program who went to prison, and I was the one who blew the whistle on it."

Kiriakou disclosed that despite numerous individuals being directly involved in creating, executing, and covering up CIA torture operations, he was the only person imprisoned in connection with the program. He served 23 months for confirming the name of a former colleague to a journalist, while the architects of the torture program, including contract psychologists James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen who received $108 million, faced no criminal consequences. Kiriakou had publicly revealed that torture was official U.S. policy personally approved by the president.

About this episode

In a revealing three-hour conversation, host Jack Neal interviewed John Kiriakou, a former CIA case officer who spent 14 years in the agency before becoming the only person imprisoned in connection with the CIA torture program. Kiriakou served 23 months in federal prison not for torture itself, but for confirming a colleague's name to a journalist while exposing that waterboarding was official U.S. policy personally approved by the president. The episode opened with Kiriakou's most explosive revelation: that a CIA psychiatrist told him the agency actively recruits people with sociopathic tendencies because they possess enough conscience to be controlled but are willing to operate in moral gray areas. He described in harrowing detail the torture techniques he witnessed, including sleep deprivation authorized for 12 consecutive days despite medical evidence that detainees begin dying at day nine from organ failure, and cold cells that killed prisoners through hypothermia. Kiriakou accused AIPAC of spending millions to buy Congressional seats, claiming 88-90% of Congress has taken their money. He revealed NBC News national security correspondent Ken Delanian submitted articles to the CIA for approval before publication, calling it propaganda made legal under Obama. The conversation covered Project Mockingbird, hypnosis operations he participated in, his confrontations with Alec Baldwin, his daily Angry Birds obsession approaching 3,000 consecutive days, and why he believes Epstein was an intelligence broker selling information to multiple agencies including Mossad. Kiriakou explained he wants a presidential pardon primarily to restore his gun rights for self-protection after receiving death threats. He closed by expressing pride that despite losing everything, his legacy would be telling the truth, quoting advice from Senator Jennings Randolph to always do the right thing rather than the expedient thing.

Key takeaways

Kiriakou revealed CIA psychiatrist told him the agency actively recruits people with sociopathic tendencies for operational work in moral gray areas.
He was the only person imprisoned for the CIA torture program despite architects like James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen receiving $108 million with no prosecution.
Kiriakou accused AIPAC of spending millions to buy Congressional seats, claiming Thomas Massie race saw $35 million spent for $180,000 position.
CIA authorized sleep deprivation torture for 12 days despite detainees losing their minds at day seven and dying at day nine from organ failure.
NBC correspondent Ken Delanian submitted national security articles to CIA for editorial approval before publication, constituting government propaganda.
Kiriakou claims Jeffrey Epstein was likely an intelligence broker selling information to multiple agencies including Mossad, CIA, FBI, and MI5.
He witnessed hypnosis sessions where sources recalled specific details like stolen license plates under trance lasting over four hours.