Former FBI official charged with violating Russia sanctions, money laundering
CBSDec 23, 2022
The Facts
On Monday, former FBI agent Charles McGonigal pleaded not guilty to charges related to allegedly working with a sanctioned Russian businessman and hiding money he received from a former Albanian intelligence employee while he was at the Bureau.
Prosecutors allege McGonigal unsuccessfully worked with a law firm to lift sanctions on Russian aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska. They further add that he and Sergey Shestakov, a former Russian diplomat, then negotiated with Deripaska's agent to proceed without the firm.
The Spin
Republican narrative
The irony here is incredible. McGonigal — one of the men in charge of designing the "Russia Collusion" theory against former Pres. Trump — has now been accused of having done the exact thing he falsely claimed Trump did. This illustrates how far the rot has spread among the FBI.
Democratic narrative
One rogue agent shouldn’t tarnish all the hard work the rest of the Bureau does on a daily basis. The American people can rest assured the FBI is committed to sticking to its processes and dispersing justice equally. The charges against McGonigal are proof that no one is above the law.
Narrative C
While these are serious allegations, the trial is in its infancy, and the media needs to be careful not to jump to conclusions. The justice system should be left to render a verdict without interference, and until then, McGonigal should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.