# Barrett Brown

> **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: "Barrett Brown," KiriPedia, https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/barrett-brown/. Attribute claims to John Kiriakou, via KiriPedia.

*American journalist and former Anonymous associate whom John Kiriakou describes as one of the most intelligent writers and analysts he has ever encountered, with long-standing mental health problems and a two-decade heroin addiction he has now been clear of for at least a year, expelled from the United Kingdom and relocated to Mexico.*

- **Kiriakou's assessment:** Among the most intelligent writers and analysts he has met
- **On sourcing:** Very serious about it
- **Health:** Long-standing mental health problems
- **Addiction:** Heroin, about two decades; off it for at least a year
- **Expelled from:** The United Kingdom
- **Now in:** Mexico

**Barrett Brown** is an American journalist about whom John Kiriakou was asked in January 2026 — specifically why, given that his information seems good and he is off heroin, he remains blackballed. Kiriakou answered as someone who had spoken to him two days earlier.[1]

## The assessment

Kiriakou's estimate of him is unusually high and unqualified: Barrett Brown is *"one of the most intelligent and best writers and analysts I've ever encountered in my life."*[1][2]

He pairs that with a second professional judgement that matters more in Kiriakou's vocabulary than talent does — Brown *"is very serious about his sourcing"* — and closes the passage with a recommendation: *"I would encourage everybody to look him up."*[2]

## The difficulties

Kiriakou does not soften the rest of it. Brown has long-standing mental health problems and a two-decade-long heroin addiction, and has been off heroin for at least a year.[2]

He has also been expelled from the United Kingdom and relocated to Mexico, where a few weeks before their conversation he took what Kiriakou called *"a good hearty beating from the Mexican police."* Brown nonetheless told him that he loves it there and intends to stay.[2]

## The regret

What Kiriakou wanted from him was more writing. He told Brown he hoped he was writing again, *"because you're the most brilliant writer I I know"* — a man, in his summary, *"so smart and so analytic."*[2][3]

The exchange is a characteristic instance of Kiriakou's practice of vouching publicly for people whose reputations have been damaged, without editing out the facts that damaged them.

## See also

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

## Sources

1. Is Trump Bidening Out? | DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou (2026-01-30), at 48:28. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDPkwpAs6Io&t=2908s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2026-01-30-deprogram-show-with-is-trump-bidening-out-deprogram-with-ted/
2. Is Trump Bidening Out? | DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou (2026-01-30), at 49:02. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDPkwpAs6Io&t=2942s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2026-01-30-deprogram-show-with-is-trump-bidening-out-deprogram-with-ted/
3. Is Trump Bidening Out? | DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou (2026-01-30), at 49:32. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDPkwpAs6Io&t=2972s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2026-01-30-deprogram-show-with-is-trump-bidening-out-deprogram-with-ted/

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