Retired Green Beret and constitutional lawyer Ivan Raiklin discusses his ongoing defense against a defamation lawsuit filed against him by Dr. Terry Adirim, former Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. Raiklin, a vocal critic of COVID-19 policies, frames the legal battle as an opportunity to expose COVID tyranny within the Department of Defense (DoD).
Dr. Terry Adirim played a key role in implementing an unlawful vaccine mandate that compelled service members to receive Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) products rather than fully FDA-approved ones, signing a 2021 DoD memo which mandated the interchangeable use of Pfizer-BioNTech (EUA) and Comirnaty (FDA-approved) vaccines. However, Comirnaty—the fully approved version—was never manufactured or distributed, creating a “bait and switch.” Under U.S. law, EUA products require informed consent and cannot be mandated without a presidential waiver, which never occurred.
Raiklin points to evidence from adverse event databases like VAERS, claiming thousands of deaths linked to the vaccines, particularly Pfizer’s, and ties Adirim’s memo directly to potential harm among troops.
Adirim has sued Raiklin for defamation after he publicly labeled her the “architect” of this policy, accusing her of contributing to unlawful orders and even “genocide.” Raiklin views the suit as a strategic “mousetrap,” allowing discovery to prove his statements are factual. He notes the DoD rescinded the mandate in 2023 and, under the second Trump administration in 2025, issued executive orders reinstating discharged service members and correcting records, implicitly acknowledging issues with the mandate’s implementation.
Adirim later joined the CIA but was terminated shortly after Raiklin highlighted her past role, leading her to amend the lawsuit to include the CIA, its director, and others, alleging political retaliation.
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Raiklin expands the narrative to a broader “11 years of treason,” linking COVID policies to intelligence community involvement, including alleged CIA coordination with Anthony Fauci and events like Event 201. He criticizes lack of accountability in the current administration, calling for declassification of origins and prosecutions. The lawsuit, in his view, provides a venue to litigate these claims in federal court, mobilizing public pressure for reinstatements and exposure.
Ultimately, Raiklin sees this as part of a larger fight to reverse institutional overreach. By turning defense into offense, he aims to hold officials accountable, arguing that truthful speech—protected by the First Amendment—cannot be defamatory. The case underscores ongoing debates over vaccine mandates, military readiness, and government transparency, with Raiklin positioning it as a pivotal moment for COVID reckoning.
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