Treason is very strictly defined in US Law. Last treason conviction dates back to WWII. it has to be involve an enemy we are actively at war with.
He also technically wasn't working for the government of Russia. He was convicted of violating US sanctions law because Oleg Derispaka has been sanctioned by the US.
He will also be sentenced in another case. He plead guilty to hiding payments from a former Albanian intelligence officer.
I think the specific charge is a being an unregistered foreign agent.
Actually looking it up he plead guilty to "concealment of material facts." It might have been that because he was FBI or ex FBI he was required to report this loan.
You usually get a better deal when you plead guilty, but it's quite possible the FBI didn't want to go to trial
Why not death penalty? He committed treason, no?
He did not.
Treason is very strictly defined in US Law. Last treason conviction dates back to WWII. it has to be involve an enemy we are actively at war with.
He also technically wasn't working for the government of Russia. He was convicted of violating US sanctions law because Oleg Derispaka has been sanctioned by the US.
He will also be sentenced in another case. He plead guilty to hiding payments from a former Albanian intelligence officer.
https://themessenger.com/news/former-fbi-spy-catcher-charles-mcgonigal-pleads-guilty-to-secretly-taking-225000-from-albanian-intel-officer
I think the specific charge is a being an unregistered foreign agent.
Actually looking it up he plead guilty to "concealment of material facts." It might have been that because he was FBI or ex FBI he was required to report this loan.
You usually get a better deal when you plead guilty, but it's quite possible the FBI didn't want to go to trial