Russian press reports Jim Moran switches parties, banned from Russia

Eighth District Congressman Jim Moran is one of 13 American citizens banned from traveling to Russia, a tit-for-tat response for sanctions imposed by the United States against certain Russian nationals.

In a surprise, RIA Novosti — a Russian news agency — identifies the long-time Democrat, who is retiring after this term, as a Republican:

Russia’s new so-called stop list remains open and so far includes individuals that were involved in tortures at the US Guantanamo prison in Cuba and Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison, as well as Congressman Jim Moran.

Republican Moran, an outspoken opponent of Russia, was banned after Washington blacklisted Russian lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party Adam Delimkhanov with no explanation, Lukashevich said.

The list also includes Navy Rear Adm. Richard Butler, commander of Joint Task Force-Guantanamo; U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler; Ricardo Sanchez, retired commander of the coalition Ground Forces in Iraq, the Former Head of Abu Ghraib Janis Karpinski; Steven Jordan, the former head of the Interrogation Center at Abu Ghraib; US Staff Sergeant Ivan Frederick, responsible for torture at Abu Ghraib.

The TV network RT (sometimes called Russia Today) specifies why Moran made the list:

In a separate but related move, Russia has banned controversial US congressman Jim Moran, “who has repeatedly evaded responsibility despite multiple financial misdeeds” from crossing its border. This is a response to the US banning Russian ruling party deputy Adam Delimkhanov from entering earlier this month, due to alleged mafia ties and allegations of being an accomplice to murder.

According to ITAR-TASS, another Russian news agency, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said that Moran “had repeatedly been accused of financial fraud but each time escaped penalties.”

An AP report in the Roanoke Times correctly identified Moran as a Democrat and noted that his office had responded to the news from Moscow:

A statement released Saturday by Moran’s office read in part, “While this does clarify my overseas travel plans, it seems that the Putin regime would be better served by addressing the consequences of encouraging and enabling Donetsk separatists to perform such a heinous act of cold blooded cruelty or utter incompetence that resulted in the mass murder of nearly 300 innocent civilians.

“I suspect this is due to my amendment banning the US purchase of helicopters from Rosoboronexport, the Russian state arms dealer and principal supplier to the Assad regime in Syria.”

So far there has been no reaction to this story by the five candidates seeking to succeed Moran in the November election (Independent Gwendolyn Beck, Democrat Don Beyer, Independent Green Gerard Blais, Libertarian Jeffrey Carson, or Republican Micah Edmond).

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