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BUSTED! Hubert Seipel, a top German journalist regarded as a key “russia expert”, has long promoted suspiciously pro-russian talking points (including plenty of bad Baltic takes). Leaked documents just revealed by the Guardian shows he received €600K in undisclosed payments from offshore kremlin-linked companies. He has previously ridiculed suggestions he has ever been paid by russia. In response to the Guardian, Seipel confirmed the money was “sponsorship” for one of his books from a sanctioned kremlin oligarch but claimed it didn’t affect his independence as a journalist. Seipel has not been able to explain why someone would secretly sponsor a book (already written and being published), based on the agreement it wouldn’t influence anything. Seipel did not explain why he didn’t highlight the potential conflict of interest and also declined to offer any further details or provide assurances there haven’t been other “sponsorship” payments. His publisher and his broadcaster are urgently reviewing the undisclosed revelations. According to the Guardian, his case “is one of the first linking an influential western journalist with significant payments in what could be seen by some as attempts by pro-Putin actors to secure positive coverage in the international media.” The first of many. “The revelations are likely to reverberate across Germany, where debate has been raging since last year’s invasion of Ukraine over the role parts of the political and business elite played in helping to keep Putin in power, not least due to its long-term dependence of Europe’s largest economy on Russian oil and gas.” https://t.co/izGm3F2DBm