In 1976, future CIA director John Brennan was a college student disgusted by Watergate and the “system” that produced it. As the young Brennan surveyed the political landscape, only one candidate seemed to be speaking the truth about the need for real change (and/or the dictatorship of the proletariat) — Communist Party nominee Gus Hall.
But by 1980, Brennan grown out of Marxist-Leninism, realized American-style capitalism was the one true way, and decided to devote his life to Uncle Sam’s intelligence apparatus. Or so that former pinko now claims.
Brennan recalled the polygraph test he took when entering the agency — and the hair-raising moment when he was asked whether he had ever been associated with a group dedicated to overthrowing the United States.
“I froze,” Brennan said. “This was back in 1980, and I thought back to a previous election where I voted, and I voted for the Communist Party candidate.”
The CIA director continued:
[give_form id=”79809″] [contentcards url=”http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/09/cia-director-reveals-he-was-once-a-communist-sympathizer.html” target=”_blank”]I said I was neither Democratic or Republican, but it was my way, as I was going to college, of signaling my unhappiness with the system, and the need for change. I said I’m not a member of the Communist Party, so the polygrapher looked at me and said, ‘OK,’ and when I was finished with the polygraph and I left and said, ‘Well, I’m screwed.’