Putin's Media Czar Was Murdered Just Before Meeting Feds

[MelissaB]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by muriel_volestrangler (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Buzz Feed News

"Everyone thinks he was whacked"

The US government ruled Mikhail Lesin’s death an accident, but multiple intelligence and law enforcement officials suspect it was a Russian hit. The government is withholding information so today BuzzFeed News has filed a lawsuit to pry the records loose.

By Jason Leopold (BuzzFeed News Reporter) Ken Bensinger (BuzzFeed News Reporter) Anthony Cormier (BuzzFeed News Reporter) Heidi Blake (BuzzFeed News Investigations Editor) Alex Campbell (BuzzFeed News Deputy Investigations Editor, UK) Tom Warren (Investigations Correspondent) Jane Bradley (Investigations Correspondent) Richard Holmes (Investigations Reporter)

Vladimir Putin’s former media czar was murdered in Washington, DC on the eve of a planned meeting with the U.S. Justice Department, according to two FBI agents whose assertions cast new doubts on the US government’s official explanation of his death.

Mikhail Lesin’s battered body was discovered in his Dupont Circle hotel room on the morning of November 5, 2015 with blunt-force injuries to the head, neck, and torso. After an almost year-long "comprehensive investigation," a federal prosecutor announced last October that Lesin died alone in his room due to a series of drunken falls “after days of excessive consumption of alcohol.” His death was ruled an "accident," and prosecutors closed the case.

But the two FBI agents — as well as a third agent and a serving US intelligence officer — said Lesin was actually bludgeoned to death. None of these officials were directly involved in the government’s investigation, but they said they learned about it from colleagues who were.

“Lesin was beaten to death,” one of the FBI agents said. “I would implore you to say as much. There seems to be an effort here to cover up that fact for reasons I can't get into.”

Read more: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jasonleopold/putins-media-czar-was-murdered-just-before-meeting-feds?utm_term=.chWNkAY2R&bftwnews#.kkE2LyB56

[Le Gaucher]

1. I wouldnt put anything past the bastard Putin ..

I feel afraid for likes of Rachel Maddow or orthers who might get too close to the truth.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

14. The fact that Putin didn't raise a huge stink about him means that he was happy Lesin died

The fact that he was happy is a strong indicator it was a Russian hit.

[Doug the Dem]

2. Coincidence, I'm Sure!

Maximum

[TeapotInATempest]

3. This seems to be an important story

Dead Russians in Britain and the U.S. and the governments of both countries covering up that they're likely murders, not accidents.

The questions is WHY are they covering it up? What is the bigger picture? I'm not a conspiracy theorist in any way, but there must be some reason for this and that makes me nervous.

[mainer]

10. Money. There was an article about UK deaths and Russian oligarch money

authorities are getting paid off.

[TeapotInATempest]

12. I suppose it could be something as base and uninteresting as money.

I'm REALLY getting tired of everyone else suffering because of a few (ok, more than a few) greedy misanthropes.

[LeftishBrit]

4. It is certainly interesting how often people who displease Godfather Putin meet with nasty accidents

[Bradical79]

5. Russian officials sure are accident prone -nt

[avebury]

6. Why would the US authorties falsify the cause of death?

[TeapotInATempest]

13. See, this is what I don't understand.

Are they really just being paid off? Or are they keeping things under wraps for some other reason? Some larger investigation?

[Duppers]

15. Yes! It's most suspicious.

Wiki needs updating because it states:
"It's unclear if the FBI ever initiated a probe."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Lesin

The FBI was under Comey's leadership in 2015. Something troubling and suspicious was going on. Where's the transparency?

[Cosmocat]

16. That is almost unbelievable. What is absolutely unbelievable

is that somehow this guy died from mortal body wounds from a drunken stupor in a hotel room.

[LisaL]

20. That doesn't sound plausible to me either.

Where would this guy even supposedly fall from, to get this much trauma? My understanding hotel room itself didn't have any stairs inside it.
"In addition to the blunt trauma to the head, Mr. Lesin’s body had bruises on the neck, torso, arms and legs, but the cause of those was not clear."
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/03/us/mikhail-lesins-strange-death-in-us-follows-a-fall-from-russias-elite.html

[red dog 1]

21. Good question!

I would like to know the answer to that one too.

Interesting to note that the FBI assisted with the investigation, as well as DOJ.
I wonder what they are hiding?

[Kingofalldems]

7. What did Trump know and when did he know it?

[Duppers]

17. Obama was President in '15.

But you knew that.

[Kingofalldems]

19. What the hell are you talking about?

Trump has been working with the Russians for years.

But you knew that.

[Duppers]

23. Thanks for the clarification.

As MarketWatch journalist said, "This president is a lazy old man who golfs, watches TV and tweets. That’s about all." And Newsweek: "Trump hast he work ethic of a bored, lazy child." And most everyone on DU knows he's dumb as dirt and doesn't read ANYthing, so I don't think he knew much, including this, because he doesn't care enough to even want to know. He's lived his life in a bubble.

And what intelligent person would do business with a ruthless dictator? Trump might have to watch his back after leaving the WH because he cannot deliver for his boss.

I also thought: 1) you might be implying that Trump had the unused power to do something about this report OR 2) that you were making a funny, cliched joke.

My apologies for being dumb. Not the first time. And, btw, I was NOT trying to be offensive.

Bye now.

[Mr. Evil]

8. Hmmm...

Not unlike committing suicide by shooting yourself twice in the back of your head.

[dixiegrrrrl]

26. or 8 times in the head with a nail gun....n/t

[mainer]

9. The real mystery is why authorities keep calling these deaths "accidents"

Both US and UK police repeatedly refuse to call the numerous deaths murder. Even the guy in London who was found dead and stuffed in a trunk was called "an accident." The word is, there are huge amounts of money being funnelled through banks to keep these from getting too deeply investigated.

[Duppers]

18. Why were they all covering up for Putin?

Money? Or were they sitting on this in order to reel in other, bigger fish?

Just wow.

[mainer]

11. The London murders -- read all about them

"Lavish London mansions. A hand-painted Rolls-Royce. And eight dead friends. For the British fixer Scot Young, working for Vladimir Putin's most vocal critic meant stunning perks – but also constant danger. His gruesome death is one of 14 that US spy agencies have linked to Russia – but the UK police shut down every last case. A bombshell cache of documents today reveals the full story of a ring of death on British soil that the government has ignored."


https://www.buzzfeed.com/heidiblake/from-russia-with-blood-14-suspected-hits-on-british-soil?utm_term=.mdMpP8P1B#.budvGKGPw

[red dog 1]

22. Thank you BuzzFeed News for covering this important story, and for filing lawsuits

(From the OP)
"Urgent questions remain about Lesin's death.
The government is withholding the FBI's investigative file, which includes critical evidence ranging from surveillance tapes to witness interviews.
So today, BuzzFeed News filed a lawsuit to pry that information loose."

K&R, thanks for posting

[MelissaB]

24. FBI and DOJ has surveillance video, 302s, witness interviews & files on Lesin. We want it all.

Link to tweet

[SethH]

25. why are there 8 reporters' names on this story?

Jason Leopold is a red flag for me. But Buzzfeed overall is ok imo.

But this particular story I'm very wary of. We know from Rachel Maddow that the Trump defenders are shopping fake stories. She didn't fall for it but I don't trust Buzzfeed, especially Jason Leopold, to be as cautious as they need to be.

[muriel_volestrangler]

27. Locking - this is a feature story, not news

Please repost in GD, or Editorials and Other Articles. Thanks.