Putin's close media aide and oligarch whose work overlapped with Surkov's died in Washington D.C.

Former Putin aide and media mogul Mikhail Lesin (57 years old) was found dead in Washington hotel on November 5. From 1999 to 2004, Lesin served as Russia’s Minister of Press, Television and Radio, often traveling with Putin on official trips. In 2013, he became head of Gazprom-Media Holding, the state-controlled media giant that describes itself as one of the largest media groups in Russia and Europe. This same Gazprom-Media holds 66% shares of Ekho Moskvy, the main pro-Western liberal, official oppositionist ("anti-Putin") radio network in Russia whose main figures had always excellent access both to Putin and the Kremlin, on the one hand, and the US leading hands (including CIA) on Russia.

Lesin, also a prominent Russian millionaire, had also high-level ties to the Kremlin and personally to Putin.

As the former head of media affairs for the Russian government Lesin has been accused of curtailing the country’s press freedoms, while, as indicated above, providing vital financial and other support to Russia's official 5th column media at the same time.

It's unclear why the long-time adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin was visiting Washington, D.C., at this time.

Lesin is also credited with creating Russia Today (now RT), the English-language news network backed by the Russian government.

In a letter to then-Attorney General Eric Holder, Wicker said Lesin had “acquired multi-million dollar assets” in Europe and the United States “during his tenure as a civil servant,” including multiple residences in Los Angeles worth $28 million.