How high up? How about Obama cabinet-level. This news comes in a longish story about Curveball, the discredited source of some of the bad intel that led to the Iraq war.
Another revelation in the series is the real reason why the FBI swooped on Russian spy Anna Chapman in 2010. Top officials feared the glamorous Russian agent wanted to seduce one of US President Barack Obama’s inner circle. Frank Figliuzzi, the FBI’s head of counterintelligence, reveals how she got “closer and closer to higher and higher ranking leadership… she got close enough to disturb us”.
The fear that Chapman would compromise a senior US official in a “honey trap” was a key reason for the arrest and deportation of the Russian spy ring of 10 people, of which she was a part, in 2010. “We were becoming very concerned,” he says. “They were getting close enough to a sitting US cabinet member that we thought we could no longer allow this to continue.” Mr Figliuzzi refuses to name the individual who was being targeted.
Well, doesn’t this just beg for some questions? Who was the sitting member of the Obama cabinet who had a sexy redheaded Russian spy getting a bit too close? Here’s a helpful list of all the cabinet members. Who on that list would be attracted to a mysterious, red-headed socialite with an enchanting foreign accent?
Vice President of the United States
Joseph R. BidenDepartment of State
Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton
http://www.state.govDepartment of the Treasury
Secretary Timothy F. Geithner
http://www.treasury.govDepartment of Defense
Secretary Leon E. Panetta
http://www.defenselink.milDepartment of Justice
Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr.
http://www.usdoj.govDepartment of the Interior
Secretary Kenneth L. Salazar
http://www.doi.govDepartment of Agriculture
Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack
http://www.usda.govDepartment of Commerce
Secretary John E. Bryson
http://www.commerce.govDepartment of Labor
Secretary Hilda L. Solis
http://www.dol.govDepartment of Health and Human Services
Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
http://www.hhs.govDepartment of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary Shaun L.S. Donovan
http://www.hud.govDepartment of Transportation
Secretary Ray LaHood
http://www.dot.govDepartment of Energy
Secretary Steven Chu
http://www.energy.govDepartment of Education
Secretary Arne Duncan
http://www.ed.govDepartment of Veterans Affairs
Secretary Eric K. Shinseki
http://www.va.govDepartment of Homeland Security
Secretary Janet A. Napolitano
http://www.dhs.govThe following positions have the status of Cabinet-rank:
White House Chief of Staff
Jack LewEnvironmental Protection Agency
Administrator Lisa P. Jackson
http://www.epa.govOffice of Management & Budget
Jeffrey Zients, Acting Director
whitehouse.gov/ombUnited States Trade Representative
Ambassador Ronald Kirk
www.ustr.govUnited States Ambassador to the United Nations
Ambassador Susan Rice
www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov/Council of Economic Advisers
Chairman Alan B. Krueger
www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/cea/Small Business Administration
Secretary Karen G. Mills
www.sba.gov/
Chapman may have been a lousy spy, but she does seem to be qualified for the role she is alleged to have played.
Update: Irresponsible speculation as the target’s identity, here.
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