By Steve Neavling
A former FBI counterintelligence agent turned whistleblower says he tried and failed to warn Elon Musk in 2022 about what he claims was a covert Russian effort to infiltrate the billionaire’s inner circle, the Guardian reports.
Johnathan Buma, who is facing a misdemeanor charge for allegedly disclosing confidential information, said he attempted to “inoculate” Musk from Kremlin-linked outreach but couldn’t get access. Buma, now out on bail and running for Congress in Arizona, didn’t offer specifics but said he believed Russian operatives were being “placed” close to Musk.
Musk has not been accused of any wrongdoing. But concerns about his associates were also raised by his wealth manager, Jared Birchall, who reportedly urged Musk to cut ties with Igor Kurganov, a Russian-born former pro gambler who had gained influence during the pandemic. According to the Wall Street Journal, Birchall flagged Kurganov’s growing role at Musk’s private foundation, prompting Musk to remove him in 2022.
Kurganov has not been accused of any wrongdoing and denied ties to the Russian government. His wife, poker player Liv Boeree, dismissed the allegations, saying, “My husband’s only connection to Russia is that he was pushed out of his Mum’s vagina on its soil.”
Buma said he tried to raise concerns through an FBI liaison to SpaceX, but his efforts were ignored. He has also claimed he was retaliated against inside the bureau for raising alarms about alleged interference and the quashing of investigations, including probes into Rudy Giuliani and Hunter Biden. He submitted a whistleblower complaint to Congress in 2022.
Musk, the FBI, and others named in the reports have not publicly commented.
