Media Hacks Brand Decorated Marine Kiernan Major a ‘Washout’ and ‘Fake’ CIA Operative — Facts Tell a Different Story

After months of navigating bureaucratic red tape, filing formal requests, and enduring countless interviews and frustrating conversations with government officials, the low-budget smear campaign against 28-year-old Marine combat veteran and entrepreneur Kiernan Major has ultimately been exposed for what it is: a shameful and irresponsible distortion of reality. Despite efforts to bury the truth beneath sensational headlines and selective reporting, the facts are undeniable. Strip away the noise, and what stands tall is a record of honorable service and hardcore accomplishments.

The depraved campaign against Major began with a series of articles that used a now-debunked criminal complaint as a means to attack every aspect of his life, most shamefully, his military service. One outlet falsely suggested he had merely claimed to be a Marine, while a follow-up piece speculated he was a “Marine Corps washout,” possibly discharged for failing to meet standards. These desperate claims crumble to dust under pressure.

Major’s Department of Defense Form DD-214, an official record of his service, confirms an “HONORABLE” discharge in section 24 due to “DISABILITY, SEVERANCE PAY” according to section 28. A commanding officer from the Installation Personnel Administration Center (IPAC) at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune clarified over a phone call that Major was rendered “medically unfit for duty” after roughly two years of service, resulting in severance pay rather than medical retirement. “There was absolutely no misconduct involved,” the representative stated, affirming the “service-connected medical condition” was behind his discharge.

In perhaps the most absurd contradiction, the outlet even published photographs in its own article showing Major in uniform, unmistakably deployed in a Middle Eastern setting alongside foreign troops — yet still disgracefully alleged he “never deployed,” citing one of many so-called “anonymous sources.” The dishonesty is astounding. Beyond the photographic evidence, Major’s DD-214 further provides irrefutable proof: Section 12, Subsection “F” — labeled “FOREIGN SERVICE” — confirms he served overseas for several months.

His military record also includes numerous commendations, such as the Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon — the latter being awarded exclusively to service members who have engaged in direct combat. These are not participation trophies; Marines earn these through grit, pain, and sacrifice.

The formally discredited criminal complaint filed by two disgruntled former employees of Major falsely alleges that he claimed affiliation with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The accusation is as flimsy as it is unverifiable. Still, several media outlets amplified these claims into a smear campaign built on questionable hearsay — exploiting the inherently secretive nature of intelligence work to manufacture unverifiable, sensationalized clickbait. Nonetheless, we investigated the allegations ourselves and, after navigating months of bureaucratic delays, denials, and artfully evasive responses, uncovered a surprising revelation: since at least 2016, Major was officially assisting the United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) — a Department of Defense (DoD) entity tasked with conducting both offensive and defensive cyber operations. Perhaps most unexpected of all, this confirmation did not come from the Defense Department, but rather from the Chief of Public Affairs at the National Security Agency (NSA), Sally A. Nicholson, in response to a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests submitted by our team and others. The verification arrived in the form of a heavily redacted “Standard Form 50,” officially titled “Notice of Personnel Action.”

Intelligence agencies have long been known to use media outlets as tools to discredit former assets or associates when it serves their interests — a tactic that offers both convenience and plausible deniability. According to military insiders, this is often done to preserve operational security or minimize risk, as being publicly exposed as a spy can not only disrupt one’s life but, in some cases, pose a very serious threat to their safety. While it remains impossible to confirm with certainty, it seems entirely reasonable to suspect that this could have been the true motive behind such a bizarre and unconventional hatchet job. Lending further credence to this theory is the timing of the article’s publication — appearing within hours of Major’s arrest and full of information that would take days if not weeks to obtain — strongly suggesting that the outlets had prior knowledge of the impending charges, information that could only have come from official sources. Additionally, former Justice Department officials hinted to our team that sometimes arresting agencies and prosecutors also work with media outlets on occasion in an attempt to craft newsworthy criminal complaints in a manner that allows for maximum reputational damage.

In the end, the coordinated effort to malign Kiernan Major reveals far more about the machinery behind modern media and institutional power than it does about the man himself. When facts are disregarded in favor of anonymous hearsay, and legitimate service is twisted into scandal, we’re forced to ask not just why it happened — but who benefits. Due to the legal challenges and controversial nature of this reporting, many of the most reputable media organizations will continue to shy away from this story altogether, leaving the truth buried beneath layers of silence and spin. Most appalling, however, is the despicable and deeply disrespectful attempt to frame a decorated combat veteran — someone who wore the uniform and faced enemy fire — as not even worthy of what he has so rightfully earned. It’s an insult not only to Major, but to every man and woman who has ever served. His story is a cautionary tale, not just of a veteran wronged, but of a society increasingly comfortable trading truth for narrative. His record speaks for itself — and it tells a very different story than the one his detractors wanted the world to believe.

For citations, sources, documents and more contact me directly or reach out to the Irish Reform Alliance at [email protected].