Aleksander Babakov, deputy chairman of the lower house of the Russian Parliament, & two aides, Aleksandr Nikolayevich Vorobev and Mikhail Alekseyevich Plisyuk…
A sophisticated disinformation and misinformation campaign lands a multi count indictment ‘U.S. Citizen Act as an Unregistered Agent of Russia, and Fraudulently Obtain Visas” Defendants NOT in custody
Happy Friday Readers…
First thank you for your enduring patience over the past few weeks. It’s not until you force yourself to fully unplug —only then do you realize just how tired you are and that you’ve indeed been burning the candle at both ends. Henceforth the return of your daily newsletter from Moi “sine die” ←LOLs see what I did there? No really I am sincerely grateful for your patience. But I really needed to take some time off and make memories with my family… and enjoy this Timelapse video mashup
…DOJ Indicts Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Babakov and staffers Aleksandr Nikolayevich Vorobev and Mikhail Alekseyevich Plisyuk…
I assume that many of you read the April 14, 2022 DOJ-OPA…
…Babakov currently serves as the Deputy Chairman of the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian legislature. From approximately September 2014 to October 2021, Babakov served as a member of the Russian Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian legislature, and therefore had the title of Senator. From approximately 2003 to 2014, Babakov served as a member of the State Duma, where he held prominent roles such as Chair of the State Duma Commission on Legislative Provisions for Development of the Military-Industrial Complex of the Russian Federation. In or around 2011, Babakov joined the United Russia party, which is the political party of Russian President Vladimir Putin. On or around June 17, 2012, Putin appointed Babakov to be the Russian Federation’s Special Representative for Cooperation with Organizations Representing Russians Living Abroad. Babakov has become a leader in the “For Truth” party formed in or about 2021, which supports Putin. At all times relevant to the indictment, Vorobev has held the position of Chief of Staff for Babakov, and Plisyuk has served on Babakov’s staff.
…because the facts proffered in the indictment are mind blowing—and highlight just how adept Russia is when executing a disinformation and misinformation campaign. In this particular indictment the Defendants specifically targeted numerous US law makers
“…use front for this global foreign influence campaign to advance Russia’s foreign policy objectives…”
Babakov, a member of the Russian legislature, Vorobev, his Chief of Staff, and Plisyuk, another member of Babakov’s staff, used a nonprofit organization based in Russia, the Institute for International Integration Studies, as a front for this global foreign influence campaign to advance Russia’s foreign policy objectives. Through these operations aimed at influencing the course of international affairs, the defendants worked to weaken U.S. partnerships with European allies, undermine Western sanctions and promote Russia’s illicit actions designed to destroy the sovereignty of Ukraine
The defendants schemed to affect U.S. policy towards Russia through staged events, paid propaganda and the recruitment of at least one American citizen (CC-1) to do their bidding in an unofficial capacity and without notice to the Attorney General, as required by law. In pursuit of these goals, the defendants sought to co-opt U.S. and European politicians and to influence public opinion in their favor, using American and European citizens as their proxies to validate them, bring them access to power, evade sanctions and obscure their true objective to advance Russia’s foreign policy.
Who are the members of Congress? “…Congressmembers rebuffed these efforts…”
defendants contacted members of the U.S. Congress from 2012 into 2017 to seek meetings and to offer free travel to at least one Congressmember on behalf of Babakov, as well as other foreign officials aligned and associated with Babakov….in 2012, at the direction of the defendants, CC-1 sought to secure a meeting for Babakov with multiple members of Congress, including by offering an “all expenses paid” trip to a particular Congressmember to meet with European politicians and receive “an award.”
…March 2017, the defendants sought to arrange a meeting for Babakov with a member of the U.S. Congress in pursuit of the objective of “strengthen[ing] the ties of cooperation between” Russia and the United States. To secure that meeting, the defendants, through CC-1, transmitted a letter drafted by CC-1 and signed by Babakov to a particular Congressmember.
To be clear no member of Congress took Babakov (or his Senior Staffers) offer of “all expenses paid” trips or other direct/indirect elicitations. So I guess that’s good news -silver lining —amirite?
Also in March 2017, the defendants contacted at least one member of the U.S. Congress to offer free travel to a Babakov-affiliated conference in Yalta, part of Russia-controlled Crimea, as a service to benefit the purported “Prime Minister of Crimea,” Sergey Aksyonov. Aksyonov was organizing and attending the conference, and had been sanctioned by the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as a Specially Designated National (SDN) since 2014 based on his role in actions and policies threatening the sovereignty of Ukraine.
Visa Fraud -in the furtherance of this scheme…
…because when you try to to compromise members of Congress —then naturally you’ll also attempt to defraud the United States of America vis-a-vis Visa Fraud…
…the defendants also submitted fraudulent visa applications in February 2017 seeking to travel to the United States under the false pretense of each traveling alone for a “vacation,” when in fact they planned to conduct unofficial meetings with U.S. politicians and advisors to further their influence objectives. In June 2017, OFAC sanctioned the three defendants as SDNs. The defendants’ visa applications were ultimately denied in January 2018, disrupting the defendants’ planned meetings in the United States.
In June of 2012, Russian President, Vladimir Putin appointed (now Defendant) Babakov to be the Russian Federation’s Special Representative for Cooperation with Organizations Representing Russians Living Abroad. Babakov later became a leader in the “For Truth” which was formed in or about 2021:
…At all times relevant to the indictment, Vorobev has held the position of Chief of Staff for Babakov, and Plisyuk has served on Babakov’s staff….
See June 20, 2017 US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) —repeatedly cited in the indictment -also see OFAC June 2017 SPECIALLY DESIGNATED NATIONALS LIST UPDATE —Which placed sanctions on the three defendants. Additionally see the January 2017 OFAC list (see 219 page PDF) of sanctioned individuals (yes the three defendants are included) and lastly see Executive Order 13660 —in case you are wondering Yes President Biden (and president Trump) have previously updated (or extended, or expanded) Executive Order 13660) -you can read previous articles embedded below:
April 1, 2022 — US Treasury new Sanctions targeting Russia’s technology sector.
April 6, 2022 — DOJ: indicts Russian Oligarch, Konstantin Malofeyev Violating U.S. Sanctions -UPATED $5M Reward for Fugitive Semion Mogilevich
What’s somewhat interesting is the invocation of “Crimea’s Goblin” also known as: Сергей Валерьевич Аксёнов ← you really should click on that embedded link which is a pretty detailed file. I’d also recommend you (re)read Time Magazines’s March 10, 2014 article: Putin's Man in Crimea Is Ukraine's Worst Nightmare
The “Crimea Goblin” was the “purported” prime minister of Crimea — Sergey Aksyonov‘s twitter (@aksyonovkrym) account is particularly interesting— specifically the media/pictures…
I’m not 100% positive of the name of CC-1 —so for now I’m declining to name that American —beyond saying “asshole I hope the money was worth it — your treachery posed a significant National Security risk. If you love Putin and Russia that much, then GTFO of America and become a Russian citizen… yup that’s where I am… and I make zero apology for that…
..Babakov, Vorobev and Plisyuk are charged with one count of conspiring to have a U.S. citizen act as a Russian agent in the United States without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of conspiring to violate and evade U.S. sanctions, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of conspiring to commit visa fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison….
April 14, 2022 DOJ-OPA Press Release
Defendants Babakov, Vorobev and Plisyuk indictment (via USAO-SDNY)
See (current) US Treasury OFAC press releases —re Defendant Babakov
See March 24, 2022 —U.S. Treasury Sanctions Russia’s Defense-Industrial Base, the Russian Duma and Its Members, and Sberbank CEO
Enjoy the lightening light show from late last night…
And lastly -last night’s costal storm put on a serious light show -so enjoy this video…who knew that Imagine Dragons had the perfect song to accompany this video?
and for now I need to bid you adieu. As I need to walk through the beach house “punch list” with our handy man. And then I need to tackle a half a dozen or so mini projects before “high season” —after all happy beach renters make for a greater ROI ←at least that’s what I continually tell my other half…
Be Well,
Filey
NEVER over-apologize, Spicy. Our love is unconditional. I hope you are able to recharge.
Absolutely snazzy writing... Amazing