Interview With the Spy: Kevin Jursinski on CIA Secrets, Joseph Helmich, and the JFK Era

Interview With the Spy: Kevin Jursinski on CIA Secrets, Joseph Helmich, and the JFK Era

July 23, 2026

Interview With the Spy: Kevin Jursinski on CIA Secrets, Joseph Helmich, and the JFK Era

What happens when a convicted spy shares a secret that stays with you for more than 40 years?

In this episode of The Joe Pavich Podcast, I sit down with Florida attorney and author Kevin Jursinski to discuss the remarkable true story behind his book, Interview With the Spy.

Early in his legal career, Kevin was appointed to represent Joseph Helmich, a former U.S. Army intelligence officer who was convicted of selling classified information to the Soviet Union. Their attorney-client relationship placed Kevin face-to-face with a man at the center of a real Cold War espionage case—and with information Kevin says raised troubling questions about one of the most debated events in American history: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

For decades, Kevin kept those conversations private.

Now, he is sharing the story publicly for the first time.

During our conversation, Kevin explains what it was like to represent Helmich, how their relationship developed, and why the experience remained with him throughout his life and legal career. He also takes us back to the atmosphere of the Cold War era—a time shaped by Vietnam, political distrust, cultural upheaval, draft lotteries, and a country struggling to understand a rapidly changing world.

This episode is more than a story about espionage. It is a firsthand account of secrecy, loyalty, moral responsibility, and the lasting burden of knowing something you cannot easily forget.

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About Kevin Jursinski

Kevin Jursinski is an experienced Florida attorney and author of Interview With the Spy. Early in his career, he represented convicted spy Joseph Helmich and became the recipient of conversations and disclosures that he carried with him for more than four decades.

In Interview With the Spy, Kevin recounts that experience, the historical circumstances surrounding it, and the personal and professional weight of preserving Helmich’s story.

Learn more about the book and Kevin’s work:

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Watch the full interview, subscribe to The Joe Pavich Podcast, and share your thoughts in the comments:

What do you make of Joseph Helmich’s story—and the confession Kevin says he carried for more than 40 years?

New episodes of The Joe Pavich Podcast are released regularly, featuring candid conversations about business, history, personal growth, leadership, and the experiences that shape our lives.

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