He found himself in an unwelcomed position during the presidential campaign, as Bill Ayers' radical past and his relationship with then-candidate Barrack Obama became a target for Obama opponents.
On Friday, Chicagoan Bill Ayers spoke publically in an exclusive interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."
He said the GOP attack on him was a "profoundly dishonest narrative ... to demonize me."
Described by ABC's Chis Cuomo as "a son of privilege," Ayers became involved in the radical Weather Underground, an anti-war group, in the 60s and participated in what Obama called "dispicable acts," leading to the deaths of three members of the group.
In Friday's interview, Ayers confirmed that he knew Obama.
"I knew Barack Obama, absolutley. And I knew him as well as probably thousands of other Chicagoans," he told Cuomo. "And like millions and millions of other people worldwide, I wish I knew him better."
