John Kiriakou
John Kiriakou | |
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Kiriakou in 2018 | |
| Born | John Chris Kiriakou August 9, 1964 Sharon, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Education | George Washington University (BA, MA) |
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| Years active | 1990–present |
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| 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) |
| Children | 5 |
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| Website | johnkiriakou |
John Chris Kiriakou (/kiriˈɑːkuː/ kee-ree-AH-koo; born August 9, 1964) is an American former CIA officer, whistleblower, journalist, and author.
He was an intelligence analyst and operations officer for the CIA's Counterterrorism Center, and a senior investigator for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was also a consultant for ABC News, a co-host of Political Misfits on Radio Sputnik, and a columnist for Reader Supported News.
Kiriakou was the first U.S. government official to confirm in December 2007 that waterboarding was used to torture al-Qaeda prisoners during interrogations. He was later 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.