WNBA player, Brittney Griner, sold out to Putin and his Oligarchy Turning her back on America

UPDATE: President Biden traded Viktor Bout, the so-called 'Merchant of Death', for Russian basketball player Brittney Griner in a one-for-one prisoner exchange. Bout conspired to kill U.S. officials, deliver anti-aircraft missiles, and provide aid to a terrorist organization.1

American Russian basketball player, Brittney Griner, was arrested in Russia on drug charges and has been in jail since before the invasion. After Putin invaded Ukraine her arrest and incarceration made headlines causing basketball fans to demand her release. What most Americans don't realize is that Brittney is part of the reason Putin and his oligarch friends are able to rule Russia with an iron fist and hold the rest of the world at their mercy.

You may not know, but when Brittney's not playing basketball in the WNBA she works for a Russian oligarch named Iskander Makhmudov. The billionaire, with very close ties to Putin, pays Griner more than $1 million each year, provides her luxury penthouse, a car, and driver, chartered flights to games, and even hired her WNBA coach's husband to coach her Russian basketball team. Putin's associates approached Griner shortly after she was arrested for assaulting her then-fiancée and suspended by the WNBA for both the attack and failure to pay alimony and child support. As a result, Brittney's loyalty is bought and paid for by Makhmudov and by extension Putin.2

Brittney's boss Iskander Makhmudov is a very powerful and dangerous man in Russia not just because of his very close financial and personal relationship with Putin but because of his control of politicians and corporations in the United States and Europe. When the Department of Justice sanctioned him and charged him in 2003 with leading a "massive racketeering scheme" in the US that included “physical violence, mail and wire fraud, and money laundering in the United States” the White House applied 'pressure' causing the case to be dropped on 'jurisdictional grounds'.

Since then Makhmudov has only strengthened his control of western institutions. For example, in 2014 he was able to use his influence to cause Hyatt Hotels to cancel their deal with Donald Trump (prior to his presidency) and partner with him to build luxury apartment hotels in Russia. The first project completed under the partnership was the Iset Tower. The 52-story building features a Hyatt Hotel, 225 luxury apartments (Brittney lives in one of the penthouse units), a casino, clubhouse, spa, wellness facility, swimming pool, cinema, restaurants, and a shopping mall.3 Putin, through Makhmudov, depends on Hyatt to funnel millions of dollars in campaign contributions to BOTH Republicans and Democrats (Hyatt contributed to both Trump and Biden and the RNC and GOP).4

Prior to capturing the Hyatt group, Makhmudov convinced Wendy's and Arby's to bet their future on the oligarch by developing more than 180 of the American restaurants across Russia (only the Arby's brand was actually rolled out). Makhmudov then convinced the famous Goodman Steak House brand from England to join forces with him to bring their steaks to Russia. He did the same with other famous European brands including Filimonova and Yankel, Kolbasoff, and Mama's Pasta. Makhmudov, not wanting to miss out on the food delivery craze launched not one but two food delivery companies including Legion and Yedinaya Set Pitania. Just as Hyatt contributes millions to American politicians Wendy's/Arby's Group PAC is a prolific contributor to BOTH parties.5

Makhmudov's International Space Services was a MAJOR supplier of rocket engines to American space companies until President Trump banned the use of Russian and Chinese commercial satellite services and launch vehicles.6 As a result of Trump's action, Makhmudov was forced to shut down his own space tourism business called CosmoCourse.7 Once Biden was elected Bezos lobbied the new administration on Makhmudov's behalf to allow the oligarch to resume its business with US space companies. Magically, just prior to the Ukraine invasion Biden quietly lifted the ban allowing Makhmudov to resume sales to Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. Unfortunately for Bezos, the oligarch's company will be forced to stop delivery of rockets on December 22 unless Biden's new sanctions are lifted.

Makhmudov is able to use his billions to influence and control American and European political leaders for his own benefit and the benefit of his benefactor - Putin. As a result, it should come as no surprise that when Biden's Treasury Department released its list of sanctioned individuals Iskander Makhmudov's name was nowhere to be found. He managed to escape sanctions in the UK and EU as well.8

Putin's Army of Oligarchs weaponizes the riches plundered from the Russian people to build a complex spiderweb of influence and control in the United States and Europe. When you stay at Hyatt Hotel, eat at Arby's, or cheer for Brittney Griner - in a small way, you are helping Makhmudov keep Putin in power. Putin uses Makhmudov and more than a hundred other oligarchs to buy us off - a little bit at a time. It is no accident that you can no longer buy a Big Mac in Moscow but you can still get a sandwich from Arby's.

Brittney Griner sold out to Putin and his oligarch. In return for a million dollars and other perks, she shows her support for the regime prior to each basketball game she plays in Russia by standing at attention for the Russian National Anthem. Millions of Russians watch her on Russian-controlled media as she honors the anthem. The same anthem that was played prior to the executions of more than 3,000,000 people during Stalin's purges. Ironically, Griner won't stand for the American National Anthem due to the nation’s history of slavery.9

Presumably, she doesn't realize that according to the 2018 Global Slavery Index the Russians are holding almost a million people in slave-like conditions including forced labor, forced prostitution, debt bondage, forced servile marriage, exploitation of children, and forced prison labor.10 Ironically, according to Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. fewer than 400,000 slaves were brought from Africa to North America meaning that there are twice as many slaves in Russia today than were brought from Africa to America.11 But for a million dollars Griner is willing to ignore that and support a murderous dictator like Putin.

If we continue to allow Putin to use his Army of Oligarchs to buy us we really have no one to blame for his naked aggression than ourselves. Each of us must commit to STOP taking money from and doing business with oligarchs and their partners.

EXTRA CREDIT QUESTION: Why is Brittney Griner still in jail for doing something she's been doing for years? If there is a single person that could get her out of ANY jail in Russia or here in the US it is Iskander Makhmudov - why is she still there?