The Cost of Telling the Truth | John Kiriakou | Ep. 446

2026-05-04 · 200 min · 13 entities

episode page audio

Asserted relationships

→ hosted by Andy Stumpf person

0.55

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Andy Stumpf
→ hosted by Cleared Hot person

0.55

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Cleared Hot
→ discusses Society & Culture concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Society & Culture
→ references blackriflecoffee.com website

0.38

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "The Cost of Telling the Truth | John Kiriakou | Ep. 446": https://blackriflecoffee.com/
→ references bruntworkwear.com website

0.38

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "The Cost of Telling the Truth | John Kiriakou | Ep. 446": https://bruntworkwear.com/
→ references clearedhotpodcast.com website

0.38

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "The Cost of Telling the Truth | John Kiriakou | Ep. 446": https://clearedhotpodcast.com/

Entities found in this episode

websites 6

mentioned blackriflecoffee.com website

0.45

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "The Cost of Telling the Truth | John Kiriakou | Ep. 446": https://blackriflecoffee.com/
mentioned bruntworkwear.com website

0.45

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "The Cost of Telling the Truth | John Kiriakou | Ep. 446": https://bruntworkwear.com/
mentioned clearedhotpodcast.com website

0.45

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "The Cost of Telling the Truth | John Kiriakou | Ep. 446": https://clearedhotpodcast.com/
references blackriflecoffee.com website

0.38

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "The Cost of Telling the Truth | John Kiriakou | Ep. 446": https://blackriflecoffee.com/
references bruntworkwear.com website

0.38

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "The Cost of Telling the Truth | John Kiriakou | Ep. 446": https://bruntworkwear.com/
references clearedhotpodcast.com website

0.38

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "The Cost of Telling the Truth | John Kiriakou | Ep. 446": https://clearedhotpodcast.com/

persons 5

mentioned Andy Stumpf person

0.70

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Andy Stumpf
mentioned Cleared Hot person

0.70

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Cleared Hot
hosted by Andy Stumpf person

0.55

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Andy Stumpf
hosted by Cleared Hot person

0.55

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Cleared Hot
mentioned John Kiriakou person

0.42

evidence rules-v5
The Cost of Telling the Truth | John Kiriakou | Ep. 446

concepts 2

mentioned Society & Culture concept

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Society & Culture
discusses Society & Culture concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Society & Culture

Episode description as stored

John Kiriakou spent 14 years at the CIA. He started as an analyst, went operational, and eventually ran counterterrorism work in Pakistan that led to the capture of Abu Zubaydah. He was the first U.S. government official to publicly confirm that the agency was waterboarding prisoners. For that, the Obama administration prosecuted him under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act and sent him to federal prison for 23 months. He lost his pension. He lost his career. Most of his kids stopped speaking to him. Today he writes books, hosts a podcast, and teaches a course on the history of terrorism. We get into how the agency really works. Recruiting spies. Breaking into a house in a foreign country to plant a bug. The mentor who told him to walk up to a target's front door and sell him out to his face. Then we get into the part nobody at Langley wants to talk about. Torture. Rendition. The innocent people who got grabbed off planes and buses and never got their lives back. We also cover Section 702, the Patriot Act, Iran, Iraq, and why no agency ever gives the power back. Enjoy. Join the Cleared Hot Podcast Newsletter: https://www.clearedhotpodcast.com Today's Sponsors: Black Rifle Coffee: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com Brunt: Right now, for a limited time, our listeners get $10 off at https://www.BRUNTworkwear.com when you use code "clearedhot" at checkout.