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Apr 2025
1h 6m

Top Secrets: The CIA Torture Whistleblow...

Dr. Phil McGraw
About this episode
Would you risk it all to expose the truth? Discover the extraordinary story of John Kiriakou. 
 
Dr. Phil welcomes John Kiriakou, a former CIA counterterrorism officer and best-selling author, who sacrificed his freedom to expose one of the government's darkest secrets. Kiriakou played a pivotal role in counterterrorism after 9/11 but made headlines when he revealed the CIA's use of waterboarding, denouncing it as torture. This brave act led to his indictment under the Espionage Act—a law meant to punish spies—and landed him in prison for 23 months.
In this thought-provoking episode, John shares his story, from his work in intelligence to his fight for transparency and ethical treatment of whistleblowers. As the recipient of the Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage, Kiriakou reflects on the moral dilemmas of his career and the ongoing battle to champion human rights. With Dr. Phil, he explores the critical question: What happens when exposing the truth comes at the ultimate personal cost?
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