Four years ago today, the Russians took former US Marine Paul Whelan as a “prisoner” on trumped-up spying charges. Instead of trying to get WHelan back, the corrupt Biden regime trade deadly arms dealer Viktor Bout (also known as the Merchant of Death) for ungrateful, country and anthem hating drug smuggler Brittney Griner. Whelan was left behind as the media celebrating the release of the anti-anthem Griner.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden still doesn’t care. He’s off to a tax payer funded vacation with Hunter to St. Croix.
Whelan, 52, was sentenced to 16 years of hard labor in 2020 after a Russian court found him guilty of espionage — a claim both Whelan and the US government continue to deny. Whelan had traveled to Russia for a wedding when he was “wrongfully detained,” according to the White House.
Earlier this month, the US secured WNBA star Brittney Griner’s release in a prisoner exchange for notorious international arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner’s release came almost 10 months after she was arrested on drug charges at a Moscow airport.
The US had attempted to bring Whelan home with Griner, but the White House said Russia insisted on a one-for-one swap, giving Washington “a choice between bringing home one particular American, Brittney Griner, or bringing home none,” as one official put it.
After the deal was announced, Whelan’s family issued a statement that supported Griner’s release, while noting the decision was a “public disappointment for us and a catastrophe for Paul.”