John Sipher on Muck Rack

John Sipher

  • Director of Customer Success, CrossLead Inc. and Freelance Writer, Freelance
  • Contributor, Great Power
Washington, D.C.
As seen in: Great Power, Apple Podcasts, MSN, The New York Times, Business Insider, Post Outlook, The Washington Post, TIME, Washington Post Opinions, Yahoo News Malaysia, Gazeta do Povo and
Former CIA Clandestine Service. @SpycraftEnt, #NAFO, Atlantic Council, Cipher Brief. Sometimes writes. Host of "Mission Implausible" podcast. Friend of dogs.

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John Sipher’s Biography

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John is a Director of Client Services at software provider CrossLead, working with C-suite clients on leadership, managing cultural change, and building cross-functional teams.
John is also sought-after foreign policy and intelligence expert. He is a regular contributor to the publications such as The Cipher Brief, Lawfare, The New York Times, Newsweek and Just Security, and serves as a media expert on issues related to intelligence and national security. He appears on PBS NewsHour, CNN and o…

John Sipher’s Journalist Portfolio

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How credible are reports that Russia has compromising information about Trump?

How credible are reports that Russia has compromising information about Trump?

On Tuesday evening, CNN reported unsubstantiated claims that Russian intelligence compiled a dossier on the p…

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John Sipher July 15

John Sipher July 15

Discussion of Trump campaign meetings with Russian representatives at Trump Tower.

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Chief of Station: An Interview with John Sipher · SpyCast

Chief of Station: An Interview with John Sipher · SpyCast

"Chief of Station": Spy Museum podcast interview with John Sipher

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Book Review: Schooling the Author of "Spy Schools"

Book Review: Schooling the Author of "Spy Schools"

Review of the recently published "Spy Schools" by Daniel Golden.

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What About Election Meddling by U.S. Intelligence?

What About Election Meddling by U.S. Intelligence?

In an otherwise forgettable February 2017 interview, Fox News's Bill O'Reilly asked Donald Trump how he could…

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Preventing Zombie Intel Officers From Stealing Any Secrets They Can

Preventing Zombie Intel Officers From Stealing Any Secrets They Can

A lot of people ask me if the spy game is as exciting as it is in the movies. While it is far tamer and less …

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Articles

I Worked for the C.I.A. for 28 Years. Bill Pulte Is a Dangerous Choice.

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By John Sipher
| The New York Times Verified
I Worked for the C.I.A. for 28 Years. Bill Pulte Is a Dangerous Choice. June 10, 2026, 5:02 a.m. ET Credit...Sophie Park for The New York Times Mr. Sipher worked for the Central Intelligence Agency’s clandestine service for 28 years. The law creating the job of director of national intelligence is not subtle about the requirements. It says that nominees for the position shall “have extensive national security expertise,” and it says so for a reason.
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Tulsi Gabbard’s Office Shouldn’t Exist Original

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By John Sipher
| The Bulwark Verified
(Photo illustration by The Bulwark / Photo: Getty) I HAVE SPENT MUCH OF THE TRUMP ERA warning against the cynical assault on the so-called “deep state” and the reckless effort to hollow out public institutions. However, there is one national security bureaucracy I would gladly see abolished, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). The ODNI was supposed to coordinate, clarify, and impose accountability on the intelligence community. It hasn’t.
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Hail the Deep State – Are political leaders a match for the institutions?

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By John Sipher
| Tomorrow's Affairs
In the lead-up to the American midterm elections, we are likely to hear the phrase, “Our institutions have failed us.” The phrase is usually followed by a demand for radical disruption, as if the only honest response to an imperfect system is to burn it down. Politicians know that anger and blame attract votes. But that fashionable diagnosis gets something basic wrong. In the United States, the deeper problem is usually not that our institutions are incapable of functioning.
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