Putin Associate Found Dead in DC Hotel
Source: ABC News
prominent Russian millionaire with high-level ties to the Kremlin has been found dead inside a Washington hotel, a Russian official and a senior U.S. official told ABC News.
Mikhail Lesin, the former head of media affairs for the Russian government who's been accused of curtailing the countrys press freedoms, had been staying at Hotel Dupont when he was found Thursday, according to officials.
It's unclear why the long-time adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin was in Washington, but the Metropolitan Police Department is now investigating his death. On Thursday, U.S. authorities notified the Russian embassy in Washington that one of its citizens had died, and Russian officials are now working with American authorities to determine the circumstances of the death, the embassy told ABC News in a statement.
snip
Lesin is credited with creating Russia Today, the English-language news network backed by the Russian government. Now known as RT, the network provides an alternative perspective on major global events, and acquaints an international audience with the Russian viewpoint, according to its website.
Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/ABCNews/putin-associate-found-dead-dc-hotel/story?id=35024556
alcibiades_mystery
(36,437 posts)Brickbat
(19,339 posts)paul ofnoclique
(81 posts)the C.O.D. is probably natural.
MADem
(135,425 posts)http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/07/us-people-mikhaillesin-idUSKCN0SW02E20151107
Russia Today (RT) quoted family members as saying Lesin died of a heart attack on Wednesday.
RT quoted TASS as saying police had found no signs of foul play but that a formal investigation into his death had been launched.
A representative for Washington police was not immediately available to comment.
ABC said Lesin, who was Russia's Minister of Press from 1999 to 2004, has been accused of censoring Russia's independent media. He became head of Gazprom-Media Holding in 2013 but resigned the following year.
Putin's puppet Medvedev fired him in 2009....
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/kremlin-media-adviser-lesin-sacked/389992.html
The Kremlin announced the departure of Lesin who founded Video International, the countrys main television advertising company, in 1990, and later held senior posts in news, television and the government on Tuesday in a terse statement, saying Lesin left at his own request.
At the present, Im bound by certain obligations, according to which I cannot comment on the reasons for my resignation, Lesin told Interfax on Wednesday evening. And I dont have the moral right to break those obligations.
But Interfax, citing a Kremlin source, reported that Lesin was sacked for using his position to resolve questions not related to his official duties. He said Lesin, 51, had breached discipline and rules on state service.
Newspapers also ran stories Thursday that said Lesin, who looked after media, information technology and intellectual property issues in the Kremlin administration, was fired for conflicts of interest with his own businesses. Kommersant reported that he could have been a driving force in the National Media Groups creation of NMG-TV, a holding containing St. Petersburgs Channel 5 and Ren-TV.
A Kremlin spokesman refused to comment on the reports. Kommersant said such harsh comments have rarely been made by senior Kremlin officials without the presidents permission.
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)It adds some context.
Thanks Madem.
As always
BTW just noticed that tattoo some gangsta code eh?
Peace!
JM
MADem
(135,425 posts)I wondered if he hadn't been in the Once Mighty Soviet Navy--that looks like an anchor to me! Given his career has been in media, he might have been the bum in charge of propaganda on a Soviet vessel (or should I say "wessel" like Chekov on Star Trek?)!
Purveyor
(29,876 posts)dreamnightwind
(4,775 posts)Interesting.
About all I watch on there is Thom Hartmann, grateful to the for showing that though. I would never trust RT on foreign policy, too much Putin influence. Hartmann says they let him do what he wants, and I believe him.
Hopefully we'll find out what happened to this guy, and why.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)He made that deal with RT just to increase his profits, Thom is a wealthy man who has been wealthy since the 1980s. To get even more wealth he got cheap studio space from anti gay media group. That's his choice, but that choice was the last ethical straw for me.
Thom is a big Christian, and I want him to know I would never rent studio space from a group that maligned his people. Never. Why? The Sermon on the Mount, even though I am not the one claiming to be a 'person of faith' as Thom does. Do unto others. So that's my choice. Thom's is different.
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)I'd like to see it.
MADem
(135,425 posts)to the extent that many of their English speaking correspondents objected to the propagandizing. And Putin's regime is anti-gay....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RT_(TV_network)
RT is a brand of "TV-Novosti", an "autonomous non-profit organization", founded by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti on April 6, 2005.[1][6] During the economic crisis in December 2008, the Russian Government headed by Vladimir Putin included ANO "TV-Novosti" in the list of core organisations of strategic importance of Russia.[7][8][9]
RT has been called a propaganda outlet for the Russian government[10][11][12] and its foreign policy[10][11][13][14] by former Russian officials[15] and by news reporters,[16] including former RT reporters.[17][18][19] It has also been accused of spreading disinformation.[20][21][22] The United Kingdom media regulator Ofcom has threatened RT with sanctions because of repeated violations of its rules on impartiality.[23] The network states that it offers a "Russian perspective" on global events.[24]
This is a couple of years old but it relates to the question you asked--there are video examples at the link:
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/08/21/2505051/5-ways-russia-today-anti-gay/
5 Ways Russia Today Attempts To Justify The Countrys Law Banning Gay Propaganda
Reporter James Kirchick, a supposed leading voice on gay politics, was kicked off Russia Today Wednesday after using his time to condemn both Russias law banning gay propaganda and the television network for not properly reporting on it. The other panelists countered that the network has discussed the law, which is true, but much of the coverage has been used to justify it. Here are five tactics the network has used to defend the gay propaganda law:
Russias Anti-Gay Laws Arent As Bad As Other Countries
One of the deflections Russia Todays (RT) contributors often point out is that many other countries have extreme laws criminalizing homosexuality, whereas Russias law does not technically make it a crime to be gay. Of course, most of those other countries are small commonwealth states, not world powers hosting international events.
Another comparison is to Section 28, which was a law in the United Kingdom until 2003 banning local governments and schools from promoting homosexuality. In this clip, Ben Harris-Quinney tells viewers that Section 28 was almost exactly the same as Russias law....
The Law Simply Protects Minors
RT likes to emphasize that the law is designed to protect minors, as if that intention alone makes it okay. Consider this clip from earlier this month, in which the reporter says, The LGBT Community in the West is furious with the passing of a new Russian law banning gay propaganda to minors, a detail almost never mentioned.....
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)Do you think the Russians are more anti gay than say Uganda where we have our troops looking for coney2012.
Or any of the gulf states? Why the silence for those creeps. It seems to me that even without that issue there would be many still hating Russians and Russia. Pretty much started when he gave Snowden asylum.
MADem
(135,425 posts)Or the old quick-point-over-there and say "Well, THAT one is WORSE!"
Lesin wasn't from Uganda or the Gulf states, now, was he?
We can rake those guys over the coals when a topic relating to them comes up, no problem.
dreamnightwind
(4,775 posts)and he is an ally, not an enemy, of gay rights. I can't and won't speak for RT at large, since I don't watch their other programming.
Ford_Prefect
(8,160 posts)Greybnk48
(10,324 posts)I think I'm watching too much T.V.!
tabasco
(22,974 posts)Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)I will remember that next time someone attacks the messenger and not the issues. As we say Arigato (thank you).
tabasco
(22,974 posts)The dead person was not a Putin critic (at least publicly). However, many gangsters who were not critics of their bosses ended up with piano wire around their necks or bullets in their brains. Also, judging a news organization's credibility based upon the founder, and not the organization's actual publications, is not intelligent.
You seem to have an illogical thought process.
You're welcome.
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)Good points.
MADem
(135,425 posts)And now RT is state-owned.
And the latest? The Russians think the guy is in a witness protection program, and not dead at all....!
Key aide: Mikhail Lesin (right, with Putin), who was Putin's press secretary during his first stint as president, founded state television network Russia Today, regarded in the West as a mouthpiece for the Kremlin
Longstanding association: Mikhail Lesin had known Vladimir Putin before the Russian strongman took control of the Kremlin and was nicknamed 'the Bulldozer' for getting the media to dance to Putin's tune
Comrades: Mikhail Lesin was Putin's press minister from 1999 to 2004, then his press adviser from 2004 to 2009, when he created Russia Today
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3315994/Vladimir-Putin-s-media-mastermind-dead-DC-hotel-murdered-FBI-informant-alive-claim-Russians.html#ixzz3rQDf1D3z
wordpix
(18,652 posts)Sunlei
(22,651 posts)Sunlei
(22,651 posts)Their citizens seem to have gone missing on global medias like youtube, their TV news personal were changed and there are no more bloggers writing about differences they have with their government.
Even artists and singers were punished if they did anything the government didn't like.
newthinking
(3,982 posts)The guy had a heart attack. That happens some times.
MADem
(135,425 posts)EXCLUSIVE: Vladimir Putin's media Svengali who was found dead in DC hotel was 'murdered for being an FBI informant' - or could even still be alive, claim Russians
Millionaire Mikhail Lesin, 57, was found dead in $240-a-night in Washington DC last Friday and police are investigating
The pro-Putin 'propaganda channel' he set up, RT, claimed he 'had been suffering from a prolonged unidentified illness'
But DC police have made no such finding and now speculation is mounting in Russia that he was murdered because he had turned FBI informer
Know as 'the Bulldozer' he was key to media falling into line with Putin but had recently found new love and become father with Siberian model, 29
By WILL STEWART IN MOSCOW FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 15:31 EST, 12 November 2015 | UPDATED: 06:17 EST, 13 November 2015
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3315994/Vladimir-Putin-s-media-mastermind-dead-DC-hotel-murdered-FBI-informant-alive-claim-Russians.html#ixzz3rQ8nBaam
Mikhail Lesin, 57, was announced last weekend to have been found dead in the US capital. He was a Svengali figure for Putin, who was alleged to have menaced the Russian media into idolizing the strongman president.
The shock death has created an eave of speculation in Moscow that it is related to previous reports that he was helping the FBI - and could be murder.
There are even separate allegations that Lesin may still be alive, with his demise faked by the US authorities.
According to this version, he is being kept safe as part of a witness protection scheme, while spilling to the FBI all he knows on Putin's Russia.
Daily Mail Online can reveal that only weeks before his death was announced, he fathered a child with glamorous model and flight attendant Victoria Rakhimbayeva....
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)uhnope
(6,419 posts)MADem
(135,425 posts)have happened. Where's the body?
Perhaps you don't remember the old, Cold War era adage
There is no PRAVDA in ISVESTIA, and no ISVESTIA in PRAVDA?
Nothing has changed except the selection and illusion.
elias49
(4,259 posts)Occam's razor be damned!
ScreamingMeemie
(68,918 posts)Okay... I really need to get a life.
FLPanhandle
(7,107 posts)I'm happy Putin doesn't know me from Adam.