BREAKING: CIA official SUING James O’Keefe!

In this video, Nick Shirley announces that he has been sued in federal court by an individual he alleges previously worked as a CIA contractor. According to Shirley, the lawsuit stems from undercover reporting his organization conducted approximately two years prior.

Shirley claims the individual in question worked at the CIA’s Chinese Mission Center in Langley, Virginia, and allegedly showed an undercover reporter a green badge while making statements about the CIA withholding information from President Trump. In the video, Shirley plays audio of the alleged CIA official stating that the CIA “kept information” from Trump and would not provide him detailed information. According to Shirley, after the report was published, President Trump publicly commented on the matter.

Shirley states that the CIA subsequently fired the individual, with the agency releasing a statement calling him “a former contractor who does not represent CIA.” Shirley also alleges that the individual claimed the CIA was spying on his ex-wife, which Shirley says he addressed in a separate interview.

The lawsuit names three counts, according to Shirley: fraudulent misrepresentation, conspiracy to commit fraudulent misrepresentation, and violations of USC 2511 (wiretapping statutes). Shirley alleges the defendant claims his undercover reporter misrepresented herself on a dating profile and was “inauthentic.”

Shirley argues that the fraudulent misrepresentation claim is legally flawed, citing federal judge Richard Posner and legal scholars to contend that undercover work is standard practice across journalism and investigative fields. He argues that if false identities were per se wrongful, it would prohibit restaurant critics, fair housing testers, and secret shoppers from their work.

Regarding the wiretapping allegations, Shirley notes that Virginia is a one-party consent state for recording. However, he acknowledges the lawsuit claims that USC 2511 prohibits recording “if it was for a tortious act.” Shirley argues his intent was journalism—gathering and publishing information about the CIA—not committing a tortious act, and that this is protected First Amendment activity.

Shirley emphasizes that investigative reporters regularly publish information without consent from subjects, distinguishing his work from media organizations that quote sources on background or off the record. He argues his video evidence is more transparent than traditional journalism methods.

Shirley also mentions facing multiple lawsuits with similar claims. He states he will not settle and intends to fight the case through the Supreme Court if necessary. He references an upcoming January 15th hearing in the DC Circuit Court of Appeals regarding a related “Democracy Partners” case.

Shirley concludes by framing the legal battles as a broader question about whether journalism will be permitted in the country, distinguishing between “unsanctioned” and “sanctioned” information.

In Nick Shirley’s Own Words

“He said that we, that’s the CIA, kept information from Donald Trump.”

“Our intent is to gather information about the CIA and publish it, which is what journalists do.”

“I am not settling this lawsuit. I will go all the way to the Supreme Court and I will win because there’s something called the First Amendment.”