Day: November 15, 2025

#FBI  #DOJ  #CIA
Gusinsky, Lesin, and the FBI:
Goose and his Revenge: The Investigation in tweets  thenewsandtimes.blogspot.com…
The blog post, titled “The Gusinsky’s Revenge: The Investigation in tweets,” is Part 2 of an investigative series by Michael Novakhov. It appears to be presented as a collection of tweets.
The post centers on the theory that Vladimir Gusinsky, a prominent Russian media mogul and founder of the NTV television network, may be a prime suspect in ordering the murder of Mikhail Lesin, a former Russian press minister. It questions the FBI’s actions on the matter and notes that Gusinsky is “hiding in Israel and refuses to talk to the FBI.” The post also provides brief backgrounds on both Gusinsky and Lesin and their roles in the post-Soviet media landscape.

AI Mode: Gusinsky, Lesin, and the FBI
Vladimir Gusinsky, Mikhail Lesin, and the FBI primarily involves investigations into potential financial crimes and Lesin’s mysterious 2015 death in Washington, D.C..The association between
Vladimir Gusinsky and the FBI
FBI Scrutiny: Russian media oligarch Vladimir Gusinsky has drawn FBI scrutiny in recent years, though he has never been charged with a crime. Agents questioned his now-estranged wife and household staff regarding his business dealings and associations.
Charles McGonigal Connection: Gusinsky had long-standing personal and professional connections to Charles McGonigal, the former top counterintelligence agent in the FBI’s New York office. McGonigal, who investigated Russian oligarchs during his tenure, socialized and dined at Gusinsky’s home on multiple occasions.
Indictment: In an unrelated case, McGonigal was later sentenced to prison for conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions and money laundering in connection with his work for another sanctioned Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska. Gusinsky was not implicated in this criminal case.
Mikhail Lesin and the FBI
Media Czar: Mikhail Lesin was a former Russian press minister and the “mastermind” behind the Kremlin-funded international news network RT, widely considered a propaganda tool by U.S. officials. As press minister, he played a central role in consolidating state control over independent media outlets, including forcing Gusinsky to cede control of the NTV channel.
U.S. Investigations: In 2014, a U.S. Senator urged the FBI and the Justice Department to investigate whether Lesin was laundering ill-gotten gains through the purchase of over $28 million in Los Angeles real estate.
Mysterious Death: Lesin died in a Washington D.C. hotel room in November 2015. The D.C. Chief Medical Examiner officially determined his death an accident caused by blunt force injuries from falls, with acute ethanol intoxication as a contributing factor.
Conspiracy Theories: The official conclusion was met with skepticism, and alternative theories suggested murder. The FBI investigated the death as part of a metropolitan police homicide investigation and released files, which did not contradict the accidental death narrative but were heavily redacted. A private intelligence report (the “Steele dossier”) and other independent sources suggested Lesin was bludgeoned to death by enforcers working for a close Putin associate, potentially just before a scheduled meeting with U.S. Justice Department officials to discuss the inner workings of RT. Some theories even suggested Lesin was intending to cooperate with the FBI and enter witness protection.
Summary of Connection
Both Gusinsky and Lesin are high-profile Russian media figures who became subjects of interest for U.S. authorities, including the FBI. Their stories intersect through the FBI’s investigation into McGonigal and their shared history of involvement in the power struggles over Russian media control during the rise of Vladimir Putin.

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Nov 15, 2025

#FBI  #DOJ  #CIA
Gusinsky, Lesin, and the FBI:
Goose and his Revenge: The Investigation in tweets  thenewsandtimes.blogspot.com…
The blog post, titled “The Gusinsky’s Revenge: The Investigation in tweets,” is Part 2 of an investigative series by Michael Novakhov. It appears to be presented as a collection of tweets.
The post centers on the theory that Vladimir Gusinsky, a prominent Russian media mogul and founder of the NTV television network, may be a prime suspect in ordering the murder of Mikhail Lesin, a former Russian press minister. It questions the FBI’s actions on the matter and notes that Gusinsky is “hiding in Israel and refuses to talk to the FBI.” The post also provides brief backgrounds on both Gusinsky and Lesin and their roles in the post-Soviet media landscape.

AI Mode: Gusinsky, Lesin, and the FBI
Vladimir Gusinsky, Mikhail Lesin, and the FBI primarily involves investigations into potential financial crimes and Lesin’s mysterious 2015 death in Washington, D.C..The association between
Vladimir Gusinsky and the FBI
FBI Scrutiny: Russian media oligarch Vladimir Gusinsky has drawn FBI scrutiny in recent years, though he has never been charged with a crime. Agents questioned his now-estranged wife and household staff regarding his business dealings and associations.
Charles McGonigal Connection: Gusinsky had long-standing personal and professional connections to Charles McGonigal, the former top counterintelligence agent in the FBI’s New York office. McGonigal, who investigated Russian oligarchs during his tenure, socialized and dined at Gusinsky’s home on multiple occasions.
Indictment: In an unrelated case, McGonigal was later sentenced to prison for conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions and money laundering in connection with his work for another sanctioned Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska. Gusinsky was not implicated in this criminal case.
Mikhail Lesin and the FBI
Media Czar: Mikhail Lesin was a former Russian press minister and the “mastermind” behind the Kremlin-funded international news network RT, widely considered a propaganda tool by U.S. officials. As press minister, he played a central role in consolidating state control over independent media outlets, including forcing Gusinsky to cede control of the NTV channel.
U.S. Investigations: In 2014, a U.S. Senator urged the FBI and the Justice Department to investigate whether Lesin was laundering ill-gotten gains through the purchase of over $28 million in Los Angeles real estate.
Mysterious Death: Lesin died in a Washington D.C. hotel room in November 2015. The D.C. Chief Medical Examiner officially determined his death an accident caused by blunt force injuries from falls, with acute ethanol intoxication as a contributing factor.
Conspiracy Theories: The official conclusion was met with skepticism, and alternative theories suggested murder. The FBI investigated the death as part of a metropolitan police homicide investigation and released files, which did not contradict the accidental death narrative but were heavily redacted. A private intelligence report (the “Steele dossier”) and other independent sources suggested Lesin was bludgeoned to death by enforcers working for a close Putin associate, potentially just before a scheduled meeting with U.S. Justice Department officials to discuss the inner workings of RT. Some theories even suggested Lesin was intending to cooperate with the FBI and enter witness protection.
Summary of Connection
Both Gusinsky and Lesin are high-profile Russian media figures who became subjects of interest for U.S. authorities, including the FBI. Their stories intersect through the FBI’s investigation into McGonigal and their shared history of involvement in the power struggles over Russian media control during the rise of Vladimir Putin.

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Nov 15, 2025