Summary
- Russian oligarch Vladislav Klyushin was convicted in a US federal court for insider trading of American stocks and sentenced to five years in prison.
- But he was traded in a prisoner swap with Russia in August, along with other Russian and American criminals and a deputy ambassador.
- Klyushin, it seemed clear, was valuable to Russia, and the Kremlin was willing to get him back—though most reports omitted that fact.
- He made an appearance at a Kremlin ceremony with Putin, with some speculating he was an important government official.
- More likely, he was a key contractor for Putin’s propaganda chief, so valued that Putin gave him a medal.
- This scheme was an attempt to fund Moscow’s economy through the back door, despite US efforts to shut it down.
By Noah Shachtman
Original Article