Oh My: Female Spy Was Getting Close To Hillary Clinton

Now, two points:

First of all, it's now said that while there was a female spy working her way up the Democratic food chain, it wasn't Anna Chapman. The BBC report ran Anna Chapman's picture to illustrate the story, but the FBI intelligence officer never said that Anna Chapman was the spy getting close to a "sitting cabinet member."

Turns out, it wasn't her. It was another female spy in that same spy ring.

Second point:

Despite the baiting headline, there is no... well, there is not necessarily a sex angle. The spy was gaining "friends" in the Democratic Party the usual way-- by associating with fundraisers.

She'd gained the confidence of one Hillary's fundraiser buddies.

The "honey trap" feared probably involved a scheme to entrap her fundraiser buddy, and then, via him, secure information/influence. Or at least get an introduction, socially, to Hillary.

That's my guess.

Full story here.

[T]he FBI says he wasn't talking about her at all. Instead, officials at the Department of Justice told ABC News Figliuzzi was referring to another of the arrested spies, Cynthia Murphy.

According to court documents relating to the spies' arrest, Murphy had been in contact with a fundraiser and "personal friend" of Hillary Clinton, who took the office of Secretary of State in January 2009. The fundraiser, Alan Patricof, said in a statement in 2010 had retained Murphy's financial services firm more than two years before, had met with her a few times and spoke with her on the phone frequently. Patricof said they "never" spoke about politics, the government or world affairs.

A spokesperson for Clinton told ABC News in 2010 that at the time there was "no reason to think the Secretary was a target of this spy ring."

Oh, you think that fundraiser Alan Patricof was the target? You think the Kremlin activated Agent SUGART*TS get close to Alan Patricof, whoever the hell that is?

Update: This is actually old.

This was reported in 2010, but I don't remember any media interest in the story. I never heard about it.

One of the accused Russian sleeper spies may have been trying to worm her way into Secretary of State Clinton's circle of high-powered friends.

Suspect Cynthia Murphy worked at a downtown financial firm that appears to have put her in contact with Alan Patricof, a New York venture capitalist and top Democratic donor who was a finance chairman of Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign.

So, is Cynthia Murphy hot?

No, not really. Kind of affably plain.

... and that's why they ran the picture of Anna Chapman.

posted by Ace at 01:56 PM

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