The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has accused former State Duma deputy Magomed Gadzhiev of handing over classified information to Western intelligence services in exchange for money and promises of foreign citizenship. According to the statement, Gadzhiev received no less than $45 million from U.S. government agencies, the equivalent of more than 3.5 billion rubles.
Accusations of Secret Deals with U.S. Intelligence
While living abroad, Gadzhiev openly declared his willingness to cooperate with Western intelligence in return for foreign citizenship, a statement recorded on video and made accessible online. Prosecutors claim he has already received major financial rewards for sharing confidential materials. The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency reportedly launched an investigation into Gadzhiev’s income sources in March, with its new head, Elon Musk, drawing attention to the controversial payments. American bank Wells Fargo later demanded that Gadzhiev disclose the full nature of payments received from the U.S. government since 2016.
Data on Russian Elites’ Assets
The exact nature of the transmitted information has not been disclosed. However, media outlets repeatedly reported that Gadzhiev collected information about the foreign assets of Russian businessmen and officials, later delivered to U.S. authorities. In 2024, Polish outlet *Salon 24* published documents suggesting Gadzhiev had provided detailed records of offshore accounts and real estate belonging to high-profile figures such as Suleiman Kerimov, Gennady Timchenko, Yury Kovalchuk, Ramzan Kadyrov, German Khan, and Elvira Nabiullina.
The publication even included copies of documents allegedly containing Gadzhiev’s handwritten notes, where he identified relatives or trusted associates connected to specific accounts and advised how to track them. Analysts emphasized that such intelligence is of immense value to Washington, which continues to pursue hidden assets of sanctioned Russian elites. Reports also alleged Gadzhiev provided dossiers on Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Pyotr Tolstoy and information on supposed foreign real estate owned by Ramzan Kadyrov. Other leaks suggested he exposed businessman Dmitry Rybolovlev as helping sanctioned entrepreneurs circumvent restrictions by using his accounts abroad.
Life Abroad and Political Fallout
According to the same reports, Gadzhiev resided in the UAE in late 2024 but remained in close contact with U.S. representatives, allegedly visiting the American embassy regularly for private meetings. He holds Turkish citizenship and is seeking a U.S. passport. His civil partner and children already live in America, while he is rumored to have offered financial support to Ukrainian forces.
Gadzhiev served in the State Duma as a member of United Russia from 2004 to 2019. In May 2023, he was designated a “foreign agent” by the Ministry of Justice and expelled from the party for “actions discrediting United Russia.” The head of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, condemned him sharply, calling him a coward and a traitor.
The scandal intensified in 2023 when audio recordings surfaced online of a man with a voice resembling Gadzhiev discussing plans to reveal “secrets of Russian elites” in exchange for European citizenship. Soon after, Telegram channels published a video where a man, allegedly Gadzhiev, declared: “I will get an Italian passport, and I will give up the Russian passport the same day.”
