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Spies, Yachts & Kleptocrats: Alex Finley on Russia’s Hidden Money
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What bureaucracy, satire, sanctions, and superyachts reveal about intelligence, Russian power, and Western institutions. Episode Summary Former CIA officer, journalist, author, and Russian oligarch yacht tracker Alex Finley joins John Sipher for a wide-ranging conversation about intelligence, Russian influence, kleptocracy, and the strange places a career in national security can lead. Finley explains how her background in journalism shaped her work as a CIA reports officer, where verifying sources, understanding access, and connecting intelligence collectors with analysts were central to the job. She also reflects on the War on Terror, the disconnect she saw between policy narratives and…