Key ‘Russian Contact’ in the Collusion Narrative Tied to Western Intelligence Instead

The seal of the F.B.I. hangs in the Flag Room at the bureau's headquaters March 9, 2007 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

News Analysis

The man portrayed as the key shadowy broker between the Russian government and the campaign of then-candidate Donald Trump turns out to have been closely tied to people high up in European politics and intelligence circles, while his Russian contacts turned out to be shallow at best.