Ex-CIA Whistleblower John Kiriakou Goes Viral Campaigning for Trump Pardon After Exposing Torture Program
The Story
John Kiriakou, a 61-year-old ex-CIA officer who went to prison in 2013 for disclosing classified information about the CIA's torture program, has gone viral on TikTok, YouTube, and podcasts — all while campaigning for a presidential pardon.
Background
Kiriakou's CIA Career (1990-2004)
- Served as CIA analyst and counterterrorism officer
- Led the 2002 operation to capture Abu Zubaydah (al Qaeda training camp leader)
- During Zubaydah's detention, the CIA waterboarded him
The Whistleblowing
In 2007, Kiriakou discussed the CIA's torture tactics in an ABC News interview, becoming one of the first insiders to publicly acknowledge the agency's use of waterboarding. Five years later, the Justice Department charged him with disclosing a covert operative's name to journalists.
The Prison Sentence
- Pled guilty in 2012
- Served nearly 2 years in federal prison (released 2015)
- Lost his $700,000 pension after 20 years of federal service
The Pardon Campaign
Kiriakou has been seeking a presidential pardon for nearly two decades:
- Official channels: Applied through formal processes — no response
- Clemency market: Navigated Trump's expensive informal pardon system — no luck
- Podcast strategy: Appearing on the same shows Trump used (Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan, Diary of a CEO)
The Viral Moment
- Clips from Diary of a CEO (15M+ YouTube subscribers) went viral on TikTok
- Kiriakou doesn't have a TikTok account — clips spread organically
- His niece told him: "Uncle John, you're exploding on TikTok"
What He Wants
"I had 20 years of proud federal service. My pension was $700,000. Without that pension, I'm going to have to work until the day I die. It was wrong of them to take it from me, and I want it back. I can only get it back with a pardon."
The Irony
The man who helped capture a terrorist is now the one who needs rescuing:
- The torture he exposed is now widely condemned
- The Obama administration prosecuted the whistleblower, not the torturers
- The intelligence community that employed him stripped his pension
- Trump — who has used his pardon power extensively — hasn't granted Kiriakou's request
Source: WIRED