Topic Guide
What Is Whistleblowing?
Whistleblowing is a subject covered in depth across 2 podcast episodes in our database. Below you'll find key concepts, expert insights, and the top episodes to listen to — all distilled from hours of conversation by leading experts.
Key Concepts in Whistleblowing
Zionism (evolving definition)
Kiriakou notes that Zionism, which originated in the late 19th century in the UK, has seen its definition change dramatically. He suggests it has become more "reactionary or more radical," now often signifying "political Judaism strictly for political purposes, not for religious purposes" (14:15), often "at the cost of everything else."
Fisa (foreign intelligence surveillance act) & section 702
Enacted during the Carter administration with Ted Kennedy's involvement, FISA established a secret court to issue warrants for surveillance, primarily on foreign nationals (62:19). Section 702, which requires reauthorization every two years, permits "secret warrantless wiretaps on people" (64:21), raising concerns about its alleged misuse against American citizens and the lack of oversight on its threshold and application.
990 tax forms
These are documents filed annually with the IRS by most tax-exempt organizations, detailing their financial and operational activities. Kiriakou describes them as "the crown jewel" (89:50) for investigators, as organizations often "admit to everything thinking nobody's ever going to look at the 990," making them a transparent source for financial scrutiny.
Espionage act of 1917
Originally written to combat German saboteurs during World War I, this act has been controversially applied in modern times. Kiriakou highlights that between 1917 and 2009, only three people were prosecuted for speaking to the press under this act, a number that drastically increased to eight under the Obama administration, with Kiriakou being one of them (58:15).
What Experts Say About Whistleblowing
- 1.John Kiriakou accurately predicted the US attack on Iran three days before it happened, specifically stating that the "US could attack Iran as early as Monday" (00:00).
- 2.Kiriakou faced considerable criticism for his early prediction but was ultimately vindicated by the event (00:00).
- 3.His accurate information stemmed from a network of contacts within the White House, Pentagon, CIA, and FBI (00:00).
- 4.Kiriakou directly confronted public skepticism about whether high-level officials would leak classified information to him, confirming that such exchanges indeed occur (00:00-01:00).
- 5.The episode highlights the existence of informal intelligence channels through which sensitive defense secrets can be shared outside of official releases.
- 6.John Kiriakou was directly confronted by PBD over prior public accusations that PBD was a "hardcore Zionist" and a "1,000% backer of Reza Pahlavi."