Aldrich Ames, C.I.A. Turncoat Who Helped the Soviets, Dies at 84

The New York Times ^ | 01/06/2026 | Tim Weiner

[Fury]

Aldrich Ames, the most murderous turncoat in the history of the Central Intelligence Agency, whose betrayal in working for the Soviet Union went undetected for almost a decade, died on Monday. He was 84 and had been a federal prisoner, serving life without parole, since 1994.

[zek157]

Rest in piss.

[xp38]

I wonder how much could have been saved for housing him for 30+ years had he been executed?

[ConservativeMind]

This is where a torture penalty would have worked well.

[irishjuggler]

This SOB’s treachery got many people killed.

[PAR35]

This is where a torture penalty would have worked well.

Torture is bad. A bit of 'enhanced interrogation' might have been in order.

[jroehl]

Responsible for the deaths of Gennady Varenik and Dmitri Polyakov. And 20+ others.

[mairdie]

Here’s one loss I don’t feel badly about at all.

[JZelle]

Even the Times hated him. Did he come out for Trump or something?

[xp38]

quick summary

Aldrich Hazen Ames (b. 1941) was arrested on charges
of espionage in 1994 after working for the Central
Intelligence Agency for 31 years. He had been spying
for Russia since 1985.
Ames was a CIA case officer specializing in Russian
intelligence services, including the KGB. Ironically, his
initial assignment was to target Russian intelligence
officers for recruitment.
In 1985, Ames was heavily in debt and began selling
classified information to the Soviets. The information
he provided led to the compromise of at least 100 U.S.
intelligence operations and the execution of at least ten
U.S. sources. He ultimately gave the Soviet government
the names of every American agent working in its country.
The CIA was tipped off when its agents began disappearing
at an alarming rate. After a ten-month investigation, Ames
was arrested and confessed. He is serving a life sentence.
Ames received $4.6 million in total for his spying.

[broken_clock]

[daler]

There’s so much good luck happening I’m beginning to experience Al Bundy Syndrome.

And for those that don’t know, it’s not a good thing.

[laconic]

Ames got a lot of our people killed. I’m glad he’s dead.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

This is where a torture penalty would have worked well.

The ban on cruel and unusual punishment is not there to protect the criminal, but to protect civilization. No drawn and quartered, no breaking on the wheel, no burning at the stake. The torturers become too fond of their work.

[GOPJ]

Even the Times hated him. Did he come out for Trump or something?

That's what I was wondering too.

[mikey_hates_everything]

He was kept in a small lit room 23 hours a day by himself for 31 years. Same for Hanssen except Hanssen only lived for about 22 years. That was probably done as more of a deterrence for others than just an execution.

[Lurker]

I hope he drowned in his own body fluids.

L

[Apparatchik]

I hope he drowned in his own body fluids.

I hope he drowned in someone else’s. 😂

[No name given]

Aldrich Ames is now on his way to meet satan.

[Mark17]

👍👍👍👍👍👍