51�Թ�

The connections between the two were a legitimate scandal and a symbol of structural problems plaguing the entire world, but the most popular media figures that emerged from the era were #Resistance goofballs writing what was essentially spy fiction about pee tapes and 1980s-era kompromat operations.

The filing also says Smirnov claimed that Russian officials intercepted the phone calls of Hunter Biden at a foreign hotel and “may use as ‘kompromat’ in the 2024 election.”

Keith said in court filings that the allegations, which came from a 15-year-old report published by WikiLeaks in 2012, were “absolutely typical of classic kompromat, damaging and untrue information assembled and used to create negative publicity and to exert influence over the subject”.

“Kompromat” comes from a Russian word denoting damaging and compromising information collected for use in blackmailing, discrediting or manipulating someone, often for political ends.

According to Mr. Schindler, it appeared Epstein “was running a kind of kompromat operation on his super-wealthy pals.”