Kompromat
| Kompromat | |
| Russian | компрома́т |
|---|---|
| Romanization | kompromat |
| Literal meaning | compromising materials |
Kompromat (Russian: компромат, short for компрометирующий материал, literally "compromising material") is the Russian term for compromising materials about a politician or other public figure. Such materials can be used to create negative publicity, for blackmail, or for ensuring loyalty. Kompromat can be acquired from various security services, or outright forged, and then publicized by paying off a journalist.[1][2] Widespread use of kompromat has been one of the characteristic features of politics in Russia[3] and other post-Soviet states.[4][5]
Kompromat online
One recent development has been the creation of specialized kompromat websites, most famously the Russian Компромат.Ru (compromat.ru), that will, for a fee of several hundred dollars, publish any piece of kompromat on anyone.[6] Consequently, such websites are occasionally temporarily blocked by Russian ISPs and their owners harassed by government agencies.[7]
Notable usage
Following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, it emerged on January 10, 2017, that U.S. intelligence agencies were investigating possibly compromising personal and financial information on President-Elect Donald Trump, leading to allegations that he and and members of his administration will be vulnerable to manipulation by the Russian government.[8][9]
See also
References
- ^ Hoffman, David (2003). The Oligarchs: Wealth and Power in the New Russia. PublicAffairs. p. 272. ISBN 1-58648-202-5.
- ^ Koltsova, Olessia (2006), News Media and Power in Russia, BASEES/Routledge series on Russian and East European Studies, Routledge, p. 108, ISBN 0-415-34515-4
- ^ White, Stephen; McAllister, Ian (2006), "Politics and the Media in Post-Communist Russia", in Voltmer, Katrin (ed.), Mass Media and Political Communication in New Democracies (PDF), Routledge/ECPR studies in European political science, Routledge, pp. 225–226, ISBN 0-415-33779-8
- ^ Wheatley, Jonathan (2005). Georgia from National Awakening to Rose Revolution: Delayed Transition in the Former Soviet Union. Ashgate Publishing. pp. 104–105. ISBN 0-7546-4503-7.
- ^ Operation Smear Campaign, The Ukrainian Week (10 September 2013)
- ^ Levine, Y. (2009-07-28). "Journalism Face-Off: Russian Shadiness vs. American "Objectivity"". The eXile.
- ^ "Blogger Gorshkov Will Dish Dirt on Russian Politicians — for a Price". Wired Magazine. 2008-07-21.
- ^ Nelson, Eliot; Young, Jeffrey (10 January 2017). "Kompromat? More Like KomproMAGA!". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
- ^ "Trump says Russian 'kompromat' claims are fake". Financial Times. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
External links
- Компромат.Ru (Russian website)
- Компромат.Ua (Ukrainian website)