Charles McGonigal, the former head of counterintelligence at the FBI New York office, is set to plead guilty to corruption charges.
This news has caused a stir within the government and the public alike as it brings into question the integrity of what used to be one of America’s most respected law enforcement agencies.
McGonigal was an important figure in the FBI’s investigation into “Russiagate” involving former President Donald Trump.
He left his post with the Bureau shortly after that high-profile inquiry was complete and subsequently became involved in work for sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.
Earlier this year he was indicted on charges including violating US sanctions, conspiracy, and money laundering related to this work.
On top of these allegations, he was also charged with concealing $225,000 received from a former Albanian intelligence employee while living abroad.
These two cases against McGonigal tell a story of corruption on an international scale involving an individual who held one of the highest positions within American law enforcement.
This raises questions about how far such unethical behavior can go before being detected or stopped by our government officials.
Judge Jennifer Reardon has now set a plea proceeding for next week which suggests that his legal strategy may be shifting towards accepting responsibility for his actions rather than fighting them out in court.
Additionally, Seth DuCharme – his attorney in relation to the Albania case – indicated last week that there is a “decent chance” that case will be resolved without going to trial soon after Labor Day passes.
