Paul Whelan isn’t the only American Biden left behind in Brittney Griner deal
Whelan #Whelan
When President Joe Biden agreed to swap Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout, he left two Americans whom the administration sought to release behind, not one.
The plight of Paul Whelan, the former U.S. Marine who has been in Russian detention for nearly four years on espionage charges he and the United States have said are bogus, has been widely reported since the news of Griner’s impending return broke. The president said he wouldn’t give up in trying to secure his release, though he admitted the Russians coveted him more, attributing that to the espionage allegation.
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SAYS WHELAN’S ESPIONAGE CHARGE COMPLICATES HIS RELEASE
But an official told the Washington Examiner that the U.S. also sent proposals to Russian officials that included another U.S. citizen — Marc Fogel.
Fogel was arrested in August of last year, like Griner, for attempting to enter Russia with medical marijuana, though he had much more. He was arrested with half an ounce of marijuana and ultimately sentenced to 14 years in prison.
“I can confirm that the U.S. did make efforts to try to secure the release of Marc Fogel,” the official said.
They couldn’t secure his release, the official explained, because at this time, the only deal on the table that the Russians would agree to was the one that was made — Griner for Bout.
“I would just say that again, the only deal on the table that was available to us was a deal one for one, Griner for Bout. We explored many different alternatives and variations with the Russians in many different formulations,” the official continued. “We put forward a variety of different options, and the only one that the Russians were seriously willing to consider was a one for one, Griner for Bout.”
Sasha Phillips, lawyer for the Fogel family, told the Washington Examiner, “The family was happy to hear that Brittney Griner is now free, safe, and is on her way home. While it was disheartening to watch the press conference where Marc’s name was not mentioned during the U.S. government’s public pledge to bring wrongfully detained Americans home, Marc’s family hopes that Marc, who was convicted for the same crime under nearly identical circumstances, and received a longer sentence than Brittney Griner, can soon be reunited with his family as well.“
Phillips confirmed that the Fogel family was not notified ahead of time about the Griner exchange, unlike the Whelan family, who had been told by an administration official a day before. It’s also unclear whether the administration considers Fogel “wrongfully detained” under the Levinson Act, which is the legal barometer to give that designation, despite efforts from various lawmakers and the family.
The administration maintains that the deal to bring an American home was a moral imperative, though they’ve come under some criticism for the deal given the severity of Bout’s crimes.
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), a lawmaker whose district is in the same area Fogel is from, issued a strong condemnation of the deal.
“Swapping a celebrity basketball player for the Merchant of Death — while excluding a Marine and a history teacher — is patently offensive and exposes the Biden administration’s deeply rooted disdain for everyday Americans,” said Reschenthaler. “It is clear Whelan and Fogel are afterthoughts to this administration, who care more about celebrity admiration and wokeness than returning all Americans safely to their families.”
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National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Friday that the administration conducted a “national security assessment” before agreeing to release Bout regarding possible threats he poses to U.S. security. The U.S. official said Bout passed the assessment due to having served more than a decade of his sentence, with a scheduled release in 2029, and “he’s someone who’s not been involved in recent criminal activity.”
“He’s unlikely to provide any type of material support to Russia in the near term,” the official added.
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Tags: Brittney Griner, News, Defense, National Security, Russia, Joe Biden
Original Author: Mike Brest
Original Location: Paul Whelan isn’t the only American Biden left behind in Brittney Griner deal