His relations with the Kremlin are particularly close, and he also runs his own television channel. Controversially, he has been fighting for years to restore royalty in Russia and restore the Tsars! Finally, he has admitted that he has almost achieved his goal, as the Russian president is the closest thing one can find to a powerful monarch. The reason is one of the most controversial Russian oligarchs, Konstantin Malofeyev.
An American citizen is an employee of a Russian businessman. Neither the first nor the last time it happens. In this particular case, however, TV producer Jack Hanick's collaboration with the aforementioned Russian oligarch, who has been the target of US sanctions since 2014, led to the former's arrest.
According to the US Department of Justice, the former FOX television network executive not only violated US sanctions, but also made false statements to FBI agents.
According to the US Department of Justice, the former FOX television network executive not only violated US sanctions, but also made false statements to FBI agents. He attempted to mislead authorities by denying his working relationship with Malofeyev. This, despite acting as his spokesman in recent years.
The New York district court announced that the producer since 2013 has been the closest associate of the Russian oligarch, who has been linked by the Americans to the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Among other things, Malofeyev had hired him to plan and implement the dissemination of Russian propaganda in Europe. Always according to the indictment, he had created the Hellasnetwork network in Greece, headed by shipowner Yannis Karageorgis and headed by journalist Kostas Vaxevanis.
Hanik spent 15 long years at the helm of the conservative Fox network, until 2015. His colleagues remember him as a particularly hard-working, fanatical and passionate supporter of Donald Trump. He may now be brought to justice, but the charges against him relate to his actions dating back eight years.
But who is the Russian oligarch in question? U.S. Attorney Damian Williams named Malofeyev as the main financier of Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. He accuses him of orchestrating the invasion of Crimea and other "aggressive moves". He has earned the nickname "priest" because of his relations with the Orthodox Church.
He declares himself primarily a Christian Orthodox and secondarily a Russian patriot. He is the third child of a family of scientists. He was born just outside Moscow. In 1996 he graduated from the Law Faculty of the University of the Russian capital in 1996. It was his father's dream to see him become a lawyer and he fulfilled it.
He started his career at the investment bank Renaissance Capital. He stood out for his intelligence, his often overweening ambition and his passionate way of dealing with the world. His colleagues at the time speak of a man who could not find the grey between black and white. "You were either a friend or an enemy. A patriot or a traitor. Rich or poor. There was never anything in between."
Despite his young age, he became head of Corporate Finance at MDM Bank, earning tens of millions. In 2005, he founded Marshall Capital Partners, which specializes in investments in telecommunications, media, technology, real estate and agriculture.
It was during this period that his personal fortune skyrocketed, as did his political activity. In 2007 he founded the St. Basil's Foundation and the Russian Society of Philanthropists for the Protection of Motherhood and Childhood. Since 2015, he has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tsargrad Media Group. Until 2017, he was the general producer of the Tsargrad TV channel. This was a channel that combined support for Putin and Orthodoxy.
In the West, it is believed that he won the "crown" in Russian telecommunications with Putin's support. The Orthodox mogul, however, almost lost everything in 2014, when he was first sanctioned by the West for providing support to rebels in eastern Ukraine. He denies he financed the war there, but has made no secret of his anti-American feelings.
To Western accusations, he responds that he is not doing pro-Putin propaganda, but fighting Western propaganda against Russia. According to him, he always opposes homosexuality, drugs and paedophilia. Since then, his business empire seems to have run into serious problems. Several of his companies are one step closer to bankruptcy, while others are facing staggering tax debts.
Although he used to travel around the world, he now lives permanently in Moscow. After all, the Muscovite tycoon is not allowed to travel in the EU. Although his wealth justifies the term 'oligarch', he stresses at every opportunity that he does not adopt it. He does not live in a mansion, but in an apartment. He does not own a yacht or a private jet. He is not used to being surrounded by glamorous models, nor does anyone meet him in Monaco. Instead, he avidly reads history - mostly Byzantine - and used to visit Orthodox monasteries around the world.
His austere, almost monastic office is filled with rare Christian icons dating back to the 12th century. He speaks excellent English, has a sense of humour and his dream is to restore the monarchy, to make Russia as it was before 1917.
According to the US Department of Justice, however, US Attorney Damian Williams said of him: "He is closely tied to Russian aggression in Ukraine, having been identified by OFAC as one of the primary sources of funding to promote Russian-linked separatist groups operating in the sovereign nation of Ukraine. U.S. sanctions on Malofeyev prohibit U.S. citizens from working or doing business with him, but Hanick is said to have violated those sanctions by working directly for Malofeyev on numerous television programs over the course of several years."
Source: Proto Thema
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