Fat Leonard was “a maritime fixer who provided harbor protection, barges, cranes, food, fresh water, sewage collection, and anything else a nuclear powered aircraft carrier might need.” It’s absolutely astonishing how easily Leonard corrupted so many ranking Navy officers by providing them with prostitutes, booze, cash and airline tickets. Craig Whitlock https://twitter.com/CraigMWhitlock Fat Leonard How One Man Bribed, Bilked, and Seduced the U.S. Navy https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/C...
May 31, 2024•39 min•Ep 111•Transcript available on Metacast There are friendly nations, but no friendly intelligence services, goes an old saw in the spy business. What that means in practicality is that we have close intelligence relationships with our allies, but in many cases, we also spy on each other, not entirely trusting what they’re telling us. In no place is this convoluted arrangement better exemplified than the security relationship between US and Israel, who have a long history of snooping on each other while closely working together on mutua...
May 17, 2024•24 min•Ep 110•Transcript available on Metacast Jason Leopold, a senior reporter with Bloomberg News, has literally been getting under the skin of government bureaucracies for decades. His weapon: The Freedom of Information Act, enacted by Congress in the mid-1960s because the feds, well, had an insidious propensity to bury embarrassing, or even illegal, acts under layers of official secrecy. Over the years the law has been strengthened—not that it’s stopped the government from continuing its bad behavior. That’s where Leopold, a multiple pri...
May 03, 2024•38 min•Ep 109•Transcript available on Metacast Last month’s spectacular terrorist attack on a concert venue on the outskirts of Moscow, which left 144 people dead, was quickly followed by startling news that US intelligence had warned the Russians about the impending assault. When the Kremlin said the warnings hadn’t been specific, moreover, US officials pushed back, saying, in effect, “Oh yes they were,” and added details to its rejoinder. Likewise, it turned out that back in January, US intelligence had warned Iran about an impending Islam...
Apr 19, 2024•38 min•Ep 108•Transcript available on Metacast New SpyTalk Contributing Editor Mike Isikoff pokes holes in 60 Minutes’ blockbuster story. Michael Isikoff https://twitter.com/Isikoff Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Fo...
Apr 05, 2024•36 min•Ep 107•Transcript available on Metacast Jeff talks with Henry Schlesinger, author of " Honey Trapped: Sex, Betrayal, and Weaponized Love ." Henry Schlesinger Honey Trapped: Sex, Betrayal, and Weaponized Love https://a.co/d/cwXy65Z Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback. http://su...
Mar 23, 2024•37 min•Ep 106•Transcript available on Metacast Jonna Mendez, former CIA chief of disguises, discusses her new book, “In True Face: A Woman's Life in the CIA, Unmasked.” Jonna Mendez In True Face: A Woman's Life in the CIA, Unmasked https://www.amazon.com/True-Face-Womans-Life-Unmasked/dp/154170312X Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback. http://survey.pod...
Mar 08, 2024•39 min•Ep 105•Transcript available on Metacast Former top CIA ops official Dan Hoffman talks with Jeff about options on Putin. Daniel Hoffman https://twitter.com/danielhoffmanDC Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow...
Feb 26, 2024•21 min•Ep 104•Transcript available on Metacast Former US Army “influence ops” specialist Paul Cobaugh talks with Jeff about combatting conspiracy mongering. More from Paul Cobaugh https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-cobaugh-5253b335/ truthaboutthreats.com/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us fee...
Feb 09, 2024•40 min•Ep 103•Transcript available on Metacast Former CIA officials Kristin Wood and Martin Petersen built a Red Cell project on The Cipher Brief to challenge experts to explore how China came to supplant the US by 2041. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Tw...
Jan 28, 2024•39 min•Ep 102•Transcript available on Metacast Former Special Forces and CIA case officer James Stejskal chats with Jeff Stein about Berlin, Russia and more. More from our Guest: James Stejskal https://www.amazon.com/stores/James-Stejskal/author/B00NXOQG4Y?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback. ...
Jan 13, 2024•30 min•Ep 101•Transcript available on Metacast Former senior CIA officer Glenn Corn talks with Jeff Stein about the agency’s new generation and its challenges in the Middle East, Russia, and Ukraine in 2024. More from our Guest: Glenn Corn https://www.thecipherbrief.com/experts/glenn-corn Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our liste...
Dec 29, 2023•42 min•Ep 100•Transcript available on Metacast The Washington Post’s Ellen Nakashima talks with Jeff about Beijing’s secret infiltration of US infrastructure. Ellen Nakashima https://twitter.com/nakashimae Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://...
Dec 15, 2023•33 min•Ep 99•Transcript available on Metacast Former CIA ops officer Douglas London joins Jeff to discuss spooky events from Gaza to Moscow, Kyiv & beyond. Doug London https://twitter.com/douglaslondon5 Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://tw...
Dec 01, 2023•33 min•Ep 98•Transcript available on Metacast The Washington Post’s Shane Harris joins Jeff to discuss his scoop on Ukraine’s murky op to sabotage the Nordstream-2 pipeline. Follow Shane Harris https://twitter.com/shaneharris https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/shane-harris/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.as...
Nov 17, 2023•34 min•Ep 97•Transcript available on Metacast CIA Russia Hand John Sipher discusses spying and sabotage ops against Vladimir Putin. Follow John Sipher https://twitter.com/john_sipher Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker ...
Oct 27, 2023•33 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast Liza Mundy, author of “The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA,” is this week’s special guest. Follow Liza Mundy Liza Mundy (@lizamundy) / Twitter Pre-Order “THE SISTERHOOD” out 10/17 https://www.lizamundy.com/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback, too. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey....
Oct 13, 2023•41 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast This week, Jeff talks with award-winning journalist and groundbreaking author of “Wilderness of Mirrors,” National Security Correspondent for CBS, David Martin. David C. Martin (@CBSDavidMartin) / Twitter X Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback, too. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7...
Oct 06, 2023•36 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast This week Jeff talks cybersecurity with Michael Mestrovich, the former director of the CIA’s Technical Services Office; former Principal Deputy Chief Information Officer for the U.S. Department of State, and current Chief Information Security Officer at Rubrik. Michael Mestrovich | LinkedIn Rubrik Leadership Rubrik a Multi-Cloud Data Control Company Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack...
Sep 22, 2023•33 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast Jeff talks with retired former CIA Al Qaeda expert Cindy Storer Cynthia Storer | Johns Hopkins Advanced Academic Programs Cynthia Storer | UTEP Pre-Order the book Jeff mentioned The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA - Kindle edition by Liza Mundy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback, too. h...
Sep 14, 2023•31 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast Jeff talks with CIA operations veteran Laura Thomas about the gains and losses for women at the spy agency. Follow Laura Thomas On Twitter - Laura Thomas (@laurae_thomas) Substack The Action Line Read Laura’s piece Espionage is a Man's World - by Laura Thomas Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback, too. http:...
Aug 25, 2023•34 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast Jeff talks with John Hadden, author of “Conversations with a Masked Man: My Father, the CIA, and Me." https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow SpyTalk on Twitter:...
Aug 11, 2023•39 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast Jeff Stein talks with Kai Bird, co-author of “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.” Follow Kai Bird https://twitter.com/Kaibird123 “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” https://www.kaibird.com/book/book_details/1 Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtra...
Jul 28, 2023•43 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast David Ignatius talks about his new thriller “The Tao of Deception.” Follow David Ignatius https://twitter.com/IgnatiusPost Read “The Tao of Deception” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2023/tao-of-deception-david-ignatius/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQ...
Jul 13, 2023•32 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast Jeff talks with top former CIA Russia hand John Sipher about spy agency ops and Moscow’s leadership crisis. Follow John Sipher on Twitter: https://twitter.com/john_sipher Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalk...
Jun 30, 2023•40 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast Jeff talks with Calder Walton, author of “Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West.” Calder Walton https://twitter.com/calder_walton Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West https://www.amazon.com/Spies-Epic-Intelligence-Between-East-ebook/dp/B0BHTMFTLS/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2MI0 Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey...
Jun 02, 2023•44 min•Ep 86•Transcript available on Metacast Journalist James Risen speaks with Jeff Stein about his new book on Sen. Frank Church’s unprecedented investigation of CIA misdeeds, from assassination plots to LSD mind-control experiments to spying on Americans. James Risen https://twitter.com/JamesRisen1 The Last Honest Man https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/james-risen/the-last-honest-man-senator/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk o...
May 17, 2023•46 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast Former CIA and DoD Chinese espionage expert Nicholas Eftimiades talks with Jeff about Beijing’s newly aggressive covert campaigns against pro-democracy activists in the US. Nick Eftimiades https://twitter.com/neftimiades https://www.linkedin.com/in/eftimiades/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.a...
Apr 20, 2023•36 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast Legendary retired CIA officer Jim Lawler talks with Jeff about the massive leak of highly classified Pentagon documents. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twit...
Apr 14, 2023•31 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast Law enforcement and extremist reporter Ali Winston says the FBI is getting better, but radicals are metastasizing. Ali Winston https://twitter.com/awinston Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Micha...
Apr 04, 2023•37 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast 
