The fallout from the U.S.-Russian hacking scandal continues, as The Telegraph reports that an ex-KGB chief who is believed to have helped former British spy Christopher Steele compile the infamous “Golden Showers” dossier on Donald Trump, appears to have been have been murdered in Moscow. The latest development peels back another layer to the controversial Russian hacking scandal, as experts believe the Kremlin may have covered it up.
The infamous Russian dossier compiled by Steele has brewed controversy since its release in January. Revealed in the documents is Trump’s teams reported ties to the Russian government and the controversial golden showers accusation. Trump has vehemently denied all the claims and waged a war against the press for revealing it. And it looks like Russia is looking to put a kibosh on it as well.
The murdered Russian official has been identified as Oleg Erovinkin, a former KGB general and a key aide to former deputy prime minister Igo Sechin. Erovinkin was found dead in Moscow on Boxing Day, under “mysterious circumstances.” Adding even more intrigue to the story is that Erovinkin was seen as a liaison between Sechin and Russian President Vladimir Putin, fueling more suspicion his death may have been linked to the dossier.
And Erovinkin was not the first, as The New York Times reports that two Russian intelligence officers have been arrested and charged with treason for aiding the U.S. in its investigation into the hacking of Democratic party/Clinton campaign officials. Steven Hall, a former CIA head of Russian operations, said this is a big deal and the arrests may be larger than people imagine.
“The rule of law doesn’t apply in Russia, and they manipulate the law to do whatever they want to do. So what they call treason may not be what we call treason.”
These arrests and Erovinkin’s murder suggest that this may be the tipping point concerning the Russia hacking scandal.
(Via The Telegraph & The New York Times)