Former FBI spy hunter sentenced to 4 years for taking money from Putin crony in Russia sanctions case
NBCDEC 3 2023
Ex-FBI Counterintelligence Chief Sentenced to Over 4 Years
Image copyright: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images News [via Getty Images]
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
As the US has worked hard to deter the power and influence of these Russian billionaires through sanctions, McGonigal chose the greedy route by enriching himself at the expense of American national security. It's a shame that a man with such a decorated career should find himself in this situation. No one is above the law, even FBI agents with storied careers.
Establishment-critical narrative
McGonigal hid his own corrupt ties to Russian oligarchs while launching the now-debunked Russia probe into an elected US president. During the two years the government was conducting its case against Trump, one of its top so-called investigators was getting rich doing exactly what he accused others of doing.