There’s a diary still on the Rec List from today titled: http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/11/10/1595517/-Russia-s-Deputy-Foreign-Minister-Confirms-Russia-Worked-With-Trump-Campaign.
In it, the author cites a Washington Post article that quotes Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov saying that "there were contacts" with the Trump team. Shen then makes a big deal about this as though this proves collusion in the campaign.
It doesn’t, of course. Campaigns talk to foreign governments all the time. It means nothing.
But to create the impression that it does, the author then cites another excerpt:
He denied allegations of Russian interference in the election, but said “maybe we helped a bit with WikiLeaks.”
By starting the citation with “He”, in the context the diarist clearly creates the impression that Sergei Ryabkov, the deputy foreign minister, was the one who said, “maybe we helped a bit with WikiLeaks.”
What the OP didn’t tell you was that the second quote was from an entirely different person. Not the deputy foreign minister.
The second quote, however, is attributed to Sergei Markov, an entirely different person and certainly not a representative of the Russian government.
In fact, according to a bio in Vikipeedia, the Estonian Wikipedia, Markov has been:
Sergei Markov, served from 1977 on - 1980 period the USSR State Security Committee Piirivalvevägedes Circle behind the military unit. He graduated in 1986 . In the Moscow State University, Faculty of Philosophy. Between 1986-1989, he was the Moscow State Radio Engineering, Electronics and Automation Institute of Dubna branch of the social sciences faculty, and also carried out a citywide history-related discussion boards Dubna town for older pupils. Since in 1989 . Markov has been working at Moscow State University , at first as an assistant, then a senior lecturer and an associate professor in the Faculty of Philosophy.
Sergei Markov, was the early 1990s, the Russian Social Democratic Party, member of the board, VSDP program "Social democracy and progress in the way" of the author.
In the years 1991-1993 Markov [was], the Russian Security Council Adviser, 1990-1999 US National Democratic Institute co-worker and senior research consultant. 1993, . He stayed in the internship , University of Wisconsin , 1994-1997 the Carnegie Foundation in Moscow a senior researcher at the Centre.
A couple of things to note in Markov’s bio: One is his ties to the National Democratic Institute. This was one of the Neoliberals’ play toys to influence Russia and other post USSR nations into the very unfortunate brand of Disaster Capitalism that ensued after the fall of the Soviet Empire.
With ties to both the Clinton administration and the CIA, not to mention the big Wall Street banks, the NDI was one of the organizations that helped steer the Russian economy into the Great Pillaging that led to the collapse of the Russian economy and the rise of the Russian oligarchs.
How much one can read into these prior association is unclear. But they certainly to a real possibility, even a probability that Sergei Markov jumped on the gravy train led by the Clintons, Larry Summers, and the Bankers.
The second notable thing is from his Wikipedia bio:
Sergei Alexandrovich Markov (born 1958, Russian: Серге́й Александрович Марков) is a Russian political scientist, journalist and social activist. He is a Doctor of Political Science, assistant professor of Public Policy department of Faculty of Philosophy at Moscow State University, professor of the Faculty of Political Science at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO-University), director of the Institute of Political Studies. He was also a member of the Presidential Commission of the Russian Federation to Counter Attempts to Falsify History to the Detriment of Russia's Interests that existed between 2009 and 2012.
He is also a Deputy Chairman of the Russian Public Forum on International Affairs. Markov serves as co-Chairman of the National Strategic Council of Russia and is a member of the Presidential Council for Facilitating the Development of Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights of the Russian Federation.[
This is notable because, while some of his affiliations may sound very official, by all appearances, he’s nothing more than an academic with minor political dabblings. He’s worked in government in the past, but, at least according to his public record, he’s nothing more than one of countless policy wonks who write papers and recommendations which the government of Russia may or may not read.
All over the internet today, people have been misrepresenting Markov as some kind of extension of the Russian government and Putin himself. Maybe he is, but there’ zero evidence for it.
What there’s evidence for is a guy who has no idea what he’s talking about, shooting his mouth off.
But absolutely nowhere have these events been more misrepresented than here at Daily Kos. Trying to conflate a very non-official college professor who may or may not have advised the Putin government in the past with the very official deputy foreign minister, just the worst form of dishonesty.
Team Hillary: Keeping Daily Kos Snopes-worthy to the Last.