Jeffrey Sterling, CIA Whistleblower and Political Prisoner, to Speak at Warner Library

On November 13th, Rivertowns Episcopal Parishes Action on Inclusion and Racec(REPAIR) and the Warner Library will host Jeffrey Sterling, former CIA agent, for a free reading and discussion about his new book, Unwanted Spy: The Persecution of an American Whistleblower. The program at the library will be from 7:30 – 9:00 PM.

Dennis D. Parker, Executive Director of the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, will interview Mr. Sterling. All are welcome at the event. Snacks will be served.

Sterling spent 8 years in the CIA, sued the agency for race discrimination, testified to the Senate on a mishandled covert Iran operation, then was accused and convicted of violating the Espionage Act. Sterling maintains his innocence. He served over two years in prison and his life has been irrevocably changed.

The book starts with his upbringing in a small, segregated town in Missouri where he never felt that he completely belonged. He jumped at the chance to broaden his world and serve his country, first in law school and, later, in the CIA. After an impressive career, Sterling collided with discrimination: he was denied opportunities because of his race and was pushed out of the Agency.

During the early years of the War on Terror, Sterling found the courage to testify to Senate investigators about the CIA’s botched covert operation in Iran, codenamed Operation Merlin. After retiring from the CIA and spending a few quiet years in Missouri with his wife, he was arrested suddenly and charged with espionage. Accused by the government of being the source for James Risen’s reporting on Operation Merlin in his book State of War, Sterling was sentenced to prison in 2015, convicted of violating the Espionage Act.

Despite his hardships, Sterling always felt he did the right thing in testifying to the Senate and exposing the discrimination he faced at the CIA. Unwanted Spy is an inspiring account of one man’s uncompromising commitment to the truth and a reminder of the principles of justice and integrity that should define America.

The Warner Library is located at 121 North Broadway in Tarrytown.

For more information on REPAIR, visit their website at repairrivertowns.org.

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