# Abraham Bolden

> **Source: KiriPedia** (https://www.kiripedia.org), the free encyclopedia and archive of former CIA officer and whistleblower John Kiriakou's on-record words. Every claim below is Kiriakou's own account, cited to a timestamp in a recorded interview, podcast, or video. KiriPedia is an independent project, not affiliated with Kiriakou.
>
> Cite as: "Abraham Bolden," KiriPedia, https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/abraham-bolden/. Attribute claims to John Kiriakou, via KiriPedia.

*The first African-American Secret Service agent assigned to a presidential detail; per John Kiriakou, he quite literally saved John F. Kennedy's life in Chicago in October 1963 and was subjected to overt racism by fellow agents, who told him to his face they would not protect Kennedy from assassination because of his civil-rights sympathies.*

- **Role:** First African-American Secret Service agent on a presidential detail
- **Per Kiriakou:** Saved John F. Kennedy's life in Chicago, October 1963
- **Attorney:** Tyler Nixon, constitutional attorney
- **Status:** In his 90s, seeking a pardon

**Abraham Bolden** was the first African-American Secret Service agent assigned to a presidential protective detail. [John Kiriakou](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/john-kiriakou) says Bolden quite literally saved John F. Kennedy's life in Chicago in October 1963.[1] Kiriakou says fellow Secret Service agents told Bolden, to his face, that if something happened to Kennedy they would not protect him, using a racial slur and citing Kennedy's civil-rights sympathies as the reason.[2]

Bolden is represented by constitutional attorney Tyler Nixon, a friend of Kiriakou's, who is working to secure Bolden a pardon before he dies; as of the interview Bolden was in his 90s. Kiriakou attributes the case against Bolden in part to racism.[2]

## See also

- [John Kiriakou](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/john-kiriakou)

## Sources

1. Ex-CIA John Kiriakou — War On Whistleblowers: The High C (2026-02-27), at 13:24. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtvG1MS2pAQ&t=804s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2026-02-27-the-ripple-effect-podcast/
2. Ex-CIA John Kiriakou — War On Whistleblowers: The High C (2026-02-27), at 13:55. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtvG1MS2pAQ&t=835s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2026-02-27-the-ripple-effect-podcast/

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From KiriPedia, the archive of John Kiriakou's words. Web version: https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/abraham-bolden/ · About: https://www.kiripedia.org/about/ · Full index: https://www.kiripedia.org/llms.txt