John Kiriakou
John Kiriakou | |
|---|---|
Kiriakou on May 12, 2017 | |
| Born | John Chris Kiriakou August 9, 1964 Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Other names |
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| Citizenship |
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| Education | New Castle High School |
| Alma mater | George Washington University |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1990–present |
| Employer | Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (1990–2004) |
| Known for | CIA torture disclosure |
| Criminal charges | Disclosing classified information |
| Criminal penalty | 30 months (2 ½ years) |
| Criminal status | Served twenty eight months (three months in home confinement) |
| Spouse |
Heather Katherine Kiriakou
(before 2018) |
| Children | 5 |
| Website | Column at Consortium |
John Chris Kiriakou (/kiriˈɑːkuː/ kee-ree-AH-koo; born August 9, 1964) is an American whistleblower, author, journalist and former intelligence officer. Kiriakou is a columnist with Reader Supported News and co-host of Political Misfits on Sputnik Radio. He was jailed for exposing the interrogation techniques of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
He was an intelligence analyst and operations officer for the CIA's Counterterrorism Center, senior investigator for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and a consultant for ABC News. He was the first U.S. government official to confirm in December 2007 that waterboarding was used to interrogate al-Qaeda prisoners, which he described as torture.
In 2012, Kiriakou became the only CIA officer to be convicted for exposing the CIA's enhanced interrogation program, having passed classified information to a reporter. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 months in prison.