Spyke
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Jack Ryan (1938 - ) Jack Ryan, born on this day in 1938, is a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent and police officer who was fired in 1987 after refusing to spy on non-violent...

Jack Ryan (1938 - )

Sun Jun 19, 1938


Jack Ryan, born on this day in 1938, is a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent and police officer who was fired in 1987 after refusing to spy on non-violent political activists.

Ryan had been an FBI agent since 1966, but was fired for this act of protest in September of 1987, ten months short of becoming eligible for a $300,000 pension and retirement.

In a report by the LA Times, Ryan stated his belief that the Bureau could reinstate him to a position which would not conflict with his personal beliefs, however this did not occur. Ryan also stated that U.S. involvement in Central America is "violent, illegal and immoral", and was openly critical of the FBI's COINTELPRO program.


View original on lemmy.world

Insane that he would be ineligible for retirement because a employer fired him just before that'd happen. If anything, that employer should've gotten a penalty.

11

That employer is the USA government, which makes rules that only others must follow.

6
piefed.social

Huh never knew of him, thank you. Any chance his name and story were inspirational for Tom Clancy’s spy series of the same name? I’ll look around to see (nothing on Wikipedia said so, seems not)

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redrumreply
lemmy.ml

The Hunt for Red October book was published in 1984, two years before this Ryan was fired.

8

Good observation, I wonder if it was the reverse then, ha, the fictional hero compelled the real life guy to become a hero. :p

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You reached the end