My Unredacted Interview with The Leah Files

Episode of The Shawn Ryan Show · October 20, 2026 · 1 h 44 min

Shawn Ryan releases a previously shelved interview with commentator Leah of The Leah Files about her childhood, claimed intelligence career, Turning Point USA finances, Flock cameras, and US–Israel integration.

Summary

Shawn Ryan opened by explaining that he had withheld this interview because he doubted the guest's truthfulness, and released it unedited after online controversy, including criticism of his publicly listed investments in defense companies such as Shield AI and Anduril. The guest, known online as The Leah Files, described running the corporate intelligence firm Black Widow Global, investigating executives for private equity and law firms and tracing hidden assets, and said crypto is relatively easy to trace on public blockchains.

Leah recounted an abusive childhood in rural North Carolina, saying she has almost no memories before age 14, raised her younger siblings, and lost a sister to a fentanyl overdose. She described a career at Northrop Grumman, Booz Allen Hamilton and work supporting the NRO, CIA and DIA, and dismissed online challenges to her credentials as coordinated discrediting campaigns. Ryan noted he could not verify her claims and criticized some of her online detractors.

On politics, Leah predicted a Democratic sweep in the 2026 midterms, blaming Republican division after the costly primary defeat of Thomas Massie, and Ryan argued the right had split over broken campaign promises. Leah presented her analysis of Turning Point USA's finances, alleging concentrated donors and vendor LLCs tied to insiders, while saying she did not believe the finances were linked to Charlie Kirk's assassination; Ryan challenged parts of her reasoning. They discussed a Time report on Brad Parscale's FARA-registered influence campaign for Israel, with Ryan arguing many influencers are captured by access rather than payment.

The final segments covered Waze's Israeli terms of service, Flock Safety license-plate cameras and the Have I Been Flocked audit-log database, Toka camera-intrusion technology linked to Ehud Barak, declining trust in government, and a provision in the NDAA for closer US–Israel military and technology integration, which Leah called one of the scariest possible developments.

Chapters

1:38
Ryan explains why he shelved the episode
Ryan says he doubted the guest's truthfulness and defends his public defense-tech investments before releasing the full interview.
5:12
Black Widow Global and corporate intelligence
Leah describes her year-old firm, a client who died mid-investigation, hidden assets in divorces, and tracing cryptocurrency.
9:52
Gifts and Patreon question
The two exchange gifts and Leah names Anthony Bourdain, Charlie Kirk and Tucker Carlson as dinner guests.
13:02
Abusive childhood in North Carolina
Leah describes memory loss before 14, domestic violence, raising her siblings, leaving for college and forgiving her parents.
25:20
Defense contracting and intelligence work
Leah recounts work at Northrop Grumman, Booz Allen Hamilton, the NRO and CIA budget justification.
31:29
Credibility attacks online
Ryan raises doubts about verifying her career and both criticize online detractors.
37:23
Political clients and the 2026 midterms
Leah describes opposition research and predicts a Democratic sweep due to Republican division after Massie's primary loss.
49:06
Turning Point USA finances
Leah alleges donor concentration, insider-linked vendor LLCs and for-profit use of the Charlie Kirk Show name; Ryan pushes back.
1:03:15
Influencer capture and the Parscale FARA campaign
Ryan argues influencers are captured by White House access, and they discuss Time's report on Brad Parscale's Israeli-funded campaign.
1:14:59
Waze terms of service
Leah says Waze's terms require disputes to be litigated in Israel and that its data is held there.
1:18:11
Flock cameras and surveillance
Leah details Flock Nova data linking, audit-log findings from Have I Been Flocked, Toka, and erosion of public trust.
1:37:56
US–Israel military integration in the NDAA
Leah explains the NDAA process and warns that integrating US and Israeli systems would be irreversible and opaque.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Shawn Ryan
Ryan says he withheld the episode because he believed the guest was a fraud.
“I didn't release it because, personally, I think she is a total fraud and full of shit”
Listen from 1:53 · Media credibility and independent journalism
Shawn Ryan
Ryan says he publicly lists his investments on LinkedIn because he believes in those companies.
“I post all the companies that I invest in publicly on my LinkedIn because I believe in those companies”
Listen from 2:51
Linked moment · 8:58Skip to 8:58 using a listen link in the info box.
Leah (The Leah Files)
Leah argues cryptocurrency is relatively easy to trace on public blockchains.
“Crypto is actually almost one of the easier ones to trace on the public blockchain”
Listen from 8:58
Leah (The Leah Files)Prediction · due Nov 2026
Leah predicts Democrats will sweep the 2026 midterm elections.
“I think it could be higher. I think the Democrats are gonna sweep. And I'm not a Democrat either”
Listen from 40:21 · 2026 United States midterm elections
Leah (The Leah Files)
Leah claims the primary against Thomas Massie was a paid-for election based on her review of his opponent's funding.
“I looked into Ed Gallerian and where his funds were coming from, and it was obviously a paid-for election”
Listen from 41:58 · 2026 Kentucky 4th congressional district Republican primary
Shawn Ryan
Ryan argues the political right has divided because of blatant broken promises.
“I think it's divided because... the lies have been so blatant”
Listen from 43:15 · 2026 United States midterm elections
Leah (The Leah Files)
Leah says Turning Point USA's revenue grew sharply from 2024 to 2025.
“Just 2024 to 2025 alone, it went from $85 million to $115 million”
Listen from 49:09 · Turning Point USA
Leah (The Leah Files)
Leah alleges that vendor LLCs paid by Turning Point USA trace back to friends or insiders.
“all of the LLCs were tracing back to friends or people inside of the organization”
Listen from 51:28 · Turning Point USA
Leah (The Leah Files)
Leah says she does not believe Kirk's requested financial audit was the reason he was killed.
“I don't think that's why he was killed. I don't think that's why he was killed at all”
Listen from 57:07 · Assassination of Charlie Kirk
Shawn Ryan
Ryan challenges Leah's argument by saying the post-Kirk show has little audience and is likely losing money.
“I knew a lot of people that wanted to watch Charlie Kirk. I don't know anybody that wants to watch the new folks”
Listen from 59:57 · Turning Point USA
Shawn Ryan
Ryan argues many pro-administration influencers are captured by access and ego rather than being federal agents or paid.
“I don't think they understand what's happening to them. I think they're overwhelmed with the sense of, they feel like they've accomplished something”
Listen from 1:04:30 · Media credibility and independent journalism
Leah (The Leah Files)
Leah claims Israel routes payments through a German advertising company so influencers can deny being paid by Israel.
“Israel pays this German advertising company who then pays the US so that technically you can say you're not getting paid by Israel”
Listen from 1:13:27 · Foreign Agents Registration Act
Leah (The Leah Files)
Leah says Pam Bondi loosened FARA registration requirements in 2025.
“Pam Bondi, back in 2025, one of the first things she did when she got in was, you don't have to register in FARA unless you're literally an agent for that country”
Listen from 1:14:42 · Foreign Agents Registration Act
Leah (The Leah Files)
Leah says Waze's terms of service require users to sue in Israel.
“if you sue them for any sort of reason, if something happens, you have to sue the app, you have to go to Israel to do it”
Listen from 1:15:40 · Waze
Leah (The Leah Files)
Leah cites audit-log data showing most Flock searches lack a case number.
“84.2% of all of the searches, over 4 million, have no case number”
Listen from 1:20:58 · Flock Safety license plate cameras
Shawn Ryan
Ryan says he has no trust in government institutions.
“I have zero trust in any government institutions. None. Zero”
Listen from 1:29:26
Leah (The Leah Files)
Leah argues Flock cameras cannot be made safe with guardrails because the people setting them are not trusted.
“I don't think we can have flock cameras with proper guardrails because we don't have trust in the people setting up those guardrails”
Listen from 1:29:41 · Flock Safety license plate cameras
Leah (The Leah Files)
Leah claims the surveillance firm Toka was founded by Ehud Barak, who corresponded with Epstein about it.
“TOCA is the company founded by Ehud Barak, and he has emails with Epstein about it”
Listen from 1:34:02 · Artificial intelligence surveillance
Leah (The Leah Files)
Leah speculates that surveillance and centralized digital banking could be used to punish speech.
“our First Amendment will be monitored and punished or not through some sort of centralized banking”
Listen from 1:37:02 · Artificial intelligence surveillance
Leah (The Leah Files)
Leah argues a new US–Israel integration office would hide the true amount of US money going to Israel.
“now we're not going to be able to see how much money we're giving to Israel because all they have to do is give a certain amount that's public”
Listen from 1:40:27 · National Defense Authorization Act
Leah (The Leah Files)
Leah calls US–Israel military integration one of the scariest possible developments.
“I think the merging of the militaries is one of the scariest things that could happen to us”
Listen from 1:43:45 · National Defense Authorization Act

People

In the conversation

Shawn RyanFormer U.S. Navy SEAL and CIA contractor, host of the Shawn Ryan Show
Leah (The Leah Files)Social media commentator who says she is an economist, fraud examiner and former intelligence-community contractor; runs the firm Black Widow Global

Discussed

Charlie KirkAmerican conservative activist and podcast host assassinated in September 2025
Brad ParscaleFormer Trump campaign manager who registered as a foreign agent for Israel
Thomas MassieKentucky congressman facing a Trump-backed primary challenge
Pam BondiU.S. Attorney General reported fired during the episode
Ehud BarakFormer Israeli prime minister linked by Leah to the surveillance firm Toka
Jeffrey EpsteinFinancier and convicted sex offender
Tyler RobinsonSuspect in the Charlie Kirk assassination
Joe KentFormer U.S. official who resigned and disputed stated motives for the Iran conflict
Henry CuellarTexas Democratic congressman pardoned by Trump, per Leah
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States whose conduct of the Iran war is the episode's main subject
Robert ShillmanDonor Leah said pulled $2 million from TPUSA

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From the publisher

Leah, I chose not to release your episode because I personally had serious concerns about the truthfulness of your statements. I take what I put out on my platform seriously for myself and for my listeners. For the sake of transparency, here's the full interview so everyone can watch and draw their own conclusions. As for my investments, I've intentionally made them public, as you see on my LinkedIn. I invest in Shield AI and Anduril for no other reason than I believe in their ability to develop technology that equips and protects the American warfighter. That's something deeply personal to me that I believe in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on October 21, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Politics·Technology·Government