FBI Agent Who Investigated Trump for Colluding with Russians Convicted of Colluding with Russians

 

 A former FBI official with ties to the investigation into Russia's alleged links to Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign has been charged with providing services to a sanctioned Russian oligarch.

Charles McGonigal, 54, the former head of counterintelligence for the FBI's New York office, is accused of secretly working with Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, including attempting to have him removed from the U.S. sanctions list in 2019.

During his time in the FBI, McGonigal participated in investigations of Russian oligarchs, including Deripaska.He was also one of the key figures who helped trigger special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into allegations that Trump's campaign team colluded with Russia to help the former president win the 2016 election.McGonigal, while serving as chief of the cybercrimes section at the FBI headquarters in Washington, DC, was among the first FBI officials to be made aware of allegations that George Papadopoulos, a 2016 campaign adviser for Trump, boasted that he knew Russians had political dirt on Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton.This information led to the FBI launching "Crossfire Hurricane," which would examine whether Trump officials had been coordinating "wittingly or unwittingly" with Russia's attempts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. 

https://www.newsweek.com/charles-mcgonigal-trump-russia-2016-investigation-muller-1776049

A former Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the FBI Counterintelligence Division in New York, was sentenced to 50 months in prison and ordered to pay a $40,000 fine for conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and to commit money laundering in connection with his 2021 agreement to provide services to Oleg Deripaska, a sanctioned Russian oligarch.

According to court documents and statements made in court proceedings, Charles McGonigal, 55, of New York, New York, pleaded guilty in August.

“Charles McGonigal helped advance the interests of a sanctioned Russian oligarch, breaking his oath to safeguard our nation and uphold its laws,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s sentence holds him accountable for this betrayal and demonstrate this department’s commitment to deny designated individuals the means to circumvent U.S. sanctions.”

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-special-agent-charge-new-york-fbi-counterintelligence-division-sentenced-50-months