Ex-Putin aide and media attack dog dead of ‘heart attack’ in DC.

Well now.

A former aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin and prominent political figure was found dead on Thursday in a Dupont Circle hotel room, according to the Russian Embassy in Washington.

The spokesman confirmed Russian media reports that Mikhail Lesin, a former press minister and ex-executive of Gazprom-Media, died in D.C.

Via @dick_nixon, who really does have a remarkable feel for how Richard Nixon would have approached Twitter (much to the Tweeter’s consternation, apparently). As to this Leslin fellow – for some reason, the Washington Post forgot to mention that he was on our radar for ‘corruption and money laundering‘ – well, it’s not immediately obvious why this should be categorized as a ‘heart attack,’ instead of just a plain old heart attack*.  On the other hand, there’s no particular reason why it shouldn’t be so categorized, either. And on the gripping hand… well, certainly Vladimir Putin’s Russia has certainly earned any number of raised eyebrows whenever one of its minions is found suddenly, and perhaps conveniently, dead. If this bothers Putin and his apologists, then perhaps Vladimir Putin should reconsider his life choices.

Moe Lane

PS: I’d add something about how it is not prudent for foreign despots to assassinate people on American soil, except that during this administration such a statement would, alas, be sheer bluster.

*Sometimes it really is all due to natural causes.