The Chatter Podcast: Financial Intelligence, Fact and Fiction with Yaya Fanusie

David Priess
Thursday, January 26, 2023, 9:50 AM

Priess spoke with Fanusie about his path to the CIA and NCTC, what analytic work on international economics and financial intelligence is like, and more.

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Published by The Lawfare Institute
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Yaya Fanusie has explored his analytic side and his creative side throughout his life and multifaceted career. Comic book writer and illustrator in junior high. International economics in graduate school. Author of nonfiction and fiction. Work at the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Counterrorism Center fighting corruption and terrorism. Sound designer. Nonprofit expert on financial intelligence and cryptocurrencies. And now producer, writer, and voice talent of the audio spy thriller called The Jabbari Lincoln Files.

David Priess spoke with Fanusie about his path to the CIA and NCTC, what analytic work on international economics and financial intelligence is like, the unique environment at NCTC, his departure from the intelligence community, the fundamentals of cryptocurrency and bitcoin, the national security risks around cryptocurrencies, the U.S. government's coverage of those risks, his experience fictionalizing financial intelligence, and more.

Chatter is a production of Lawfare and Goat Rodeo. This episode was produced and edited by Noam Osband and Cara Shillenn of Goat Rodeo. Podcast theme by David Priess, featuring music created using Groovepad.

Works mentioned during this episode:

The movie Philadelphia

The podcast spy thriller The Jabbari Lincoln Files

The book The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver


David Priess is Director of Intelligence at Bedrock Learning, Inc. and a Senior Fellow at the Michael V. Hayden Center for Intelligence, Policy, and International Security. He served during the Clinton and Bush 43 administrations as a CIA officer and has written two books: “The President’s Book of Secrets,” about the top-secret President’s Daily Brief, and "How To Get Rid of a President," describing the ways American presidents have left office.

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