John Cullen Quotes in Kill the Messenger (2014)

John Cullen: [appearing in his hotel room in the middle of the night] I was recruited by the Agency out of college. I knew Spanish and Law, and I wanted to do good. I wanted to fight some evil empire. I went to Central America. Made nice with radicals. Slept with some of the pretty ones. And turned in names. Then I started noticing that they were disappearing. Permanently. The people that we hunted Murdered All they had was a deep desire to reform the government and have free elections. That's it. After I left the Agency, I worked my way into a major drug cartel. It was early Medellin. I solved logistical issues, bringing supply into the United States. Paved the way, you might say, as the traffic grew - and grew.

Gary Webb: Well someone in Washington knows what you do, and is doing nothing to stop it.

John Cullen: It's all lies and corruption, Gary. You become attracted to the power, then you become addicted to the power, then you're devoured by the power.

Gary Webb: Your thing and my thing, are they connected? Are they the same?

John Cullen: Yes. They are the same.

John Cullen: Nobody wants to hear your sad story, Gary.

Gary Webb: You can go on record.

John Cullen: And end up dead? No.

Gary Webb: Then why are you here?

John Cullen: I'm confessing. Who else am I going to tell?