John Kiriakou is a well-known former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) intelligence officer, author and journalist. He was the first US government official to publicly confirm the CIA’s use of waterboarding. This decision to speak out against the US government’s use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” made John a central figure in the global debate over torture and national security. Since his release in 2015, John has become a prominent journalist and advocate for whistleblower protections and prison reform. He is the author of several books, including The Reluctant Spy and Doing Time Like a Spy. John has received numerous honors for his transparency, including the PEN Center USA First Amendment Award and the Sam Adams Award for Integrity in Intelligence.