Former FBI Official Pleads Guilty to Helping Russian Businessman

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Facts

  • Charles McGonigal, the former head of the FBI's counterintelligence division in New York, has pled guilty to one count of conspiracy — having worked for a Russian businessman under US sanctions.1
  • McGonigal struck a plea deal with the US attorney's office for the Southern District of New York, officially admitting to violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and engaging in money laundering.2
  • According to federal prosecutors, McGonigal investigated a rival businessman at the request of Oleg Deripaska for $17.5K. The Dept. of Justice (DOJ) has claimed that the money was laundered from the Russian Gazprom Bank to Cyprus and a business bank account in New York before being sent to McGonigal's personal account.3
  • Prosecutors also revealed that McGonigal had been in negotiations with co-conspirators to remove Deripaska from the US sanctions list for a fee ranging between $650K and $3M.4
  • McGonigal told a federal judge that he was "deeply remorseful" for his actions that occurred in 2021. While leading New York's counterintelligence division between 2016 and 2018, McGonigal supervised investigations including that of Deripaska himself.5
  • The former FBI agent also faces separate charges in Washington, DC related to work for Albanian officials. When sentenced in December, McGonigal could face up to five years in prison.6

Sources: 1Reuters, 2POLITICO, 3NBC, 4CNBC, 5Associated Press, and 6RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by New York Post. There is a deep irony that the FBI, as they desperately obsessed with the meritless task of discovering links between Trump and Russia, themselves were the source of a Russian conspiracy. The naked politicization of federal organizations continues to make a mockery of the US, and the current state of the FBI is nothing short of appalling.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by MSNBC. While McGonigal's behavior paints a problematic picture of the US intelligence community, these events are a stark reminder that the US continues to have adversaries throughout the world who seek to covertly undermine America. Despite this, it's also reassuring that the FBI was able to uncover the internal conspiracy. It's imperative that we strengthen the important institution that is the FBI — not try to tear it down with baseless conspiracies.

Predictions