# The convicted felon introduction

> **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: "The convicted felon introduction," KiriPedia, https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/the-convicted-felon-introduction/. Attribute claims to John Kiriakou, via KiriPedia.

*The MSNBC appearance John Kiriakou says was his last: booked opposite Daniel Ellsberg, having agreed his on-air identification in advance with the producers, he was introduced instead as "convicted felon John Kiriakou", swore on tape, and began removing his microphone.*

- **Network:** MSNBC
- **Year:** 2016, by Kiriakou's account
- **Other guest:** Daniel Ellsberg, by split screen
- **Agreed identifications:** CIA torture whistleblower; former CIA officer; former CIA counterterrorism officer
- **Used on air:** "Convicted felon John Kiriakou"
- **Outcome:** The interview was restarted; they never called again

The **convicted felon introduction** is John Kiriakou's account of his last appearance on MSNBC, which he dates to 2016.

## The booking

Kiriakou has said the network called earlier in the day to say he would be in a split screen with Daniel Ellsberg. He describes Ellsberg as one of his favourite people and a mentor with whom he had been friends for years, and welcomed the pairing. The producers asked how he would like to be addressed or identified. He offered three formulations — CIA torture whistleblower John Kiriakou, former CIA officer John Kiriakou, or former CIA counterterrorism officer John Kiriakou — and told them any of the three would do. They agreed. [1]

He then travelled the length of Nebraska Avenue to the studio, which he describes as an armed camp: a compound one has to be buzzed into, with barbed wire. He was made up — more heavily, he notes, than at Fox, which struck him as odd — and wired for sound. [2]

## On air

The host set out the running order: the first question to Ellsberg, the second to Kiriakou, on whistleblowing. He began with Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, and Ellsberg answered. Then, in Kiriakou's account, he said: *"and now we go to convicted felon John Kiriakou."* [3] [4]

Kiriakou swore, loudly and on air, and said they had gone over this with the producers. The host began apologising. Kiriakou said he was done, stood up, and started removing the microphones. The host asked him to stay, said the mistake was his own, and offered to start again from the beginning. Kiriakou told him never to set him up like that again. [4] [5]

## Afterwards

He did the interview. It had been recorded some four hours before transmission. MSNBC never called him again. [5]

## See also

- [Daniel Ellsberg](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/daniel-ellsberg)
- [The Npr Walkout](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/the-npr-walkout)
- [Suggested responses](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/suggested-responses)
- [John Kiriakou](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/john-kiriakou)

## Sources

1. Scott Has Questions for John Kiriakou / DMZ America Podcast (2026-03-19), at 24:35. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygEFDZAXzWM&t=1475s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2026-03-19-dmz-america-podcast-scott-has-questions-for-john-kiriakou-dmz-ame/
2. Scott Has Questions for John Kiriakou / DMZ America Podcast (2026-03-19), at 25:08. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygEFDZAXzWM&t=1508s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2026-03-19-dmz-america-podcast-scott-has-questions-for-john-kiriakou-dmz-ame/
3. Scott Has Questions for John Kiriakou / DMZ America Podcast (2026-03-19), at 25:39. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygEFDZAXzWM&t=1539s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2026-03-19-dmz-america-podcast-scott-has-questions-for-john-kiriakou-dmz-ame/
4. Scott Has Questions for John Kiriakou / DMZ America Podcast (2026-03-19), at 26:11. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygEFDZAXzWM&t=1571s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2026-03-19-dmz-america-podcast-scott-has-questions-for-john-kiriakou-dmz-ame/
5. Scott Has Questions for John Kiriakou / DMZ America Podcast (2026-03-19), at 26:44. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygEFDZAXzWM&t=1604s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2026-03-19-dmz-america-podcast-scott-has-questions-for-john-kiriakou-dmz-ame/

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