RT, formerly known as Russia Today, said the former minister of media affairs died of a heart attack.
"Lesin died. It's impossible to believe this," tweeted Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT, which is state funded.
ABC News, quoting a Russian and a US official, reported late Friday that Lesin had been found in Washington's Dupont Circle Hotel the day before.
A controversial figure, Lesin had been accused of limiting press freedom in Russia.
In a terse statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters late Friday that the "president highly values the enormous contribution Mikhail Lesin made helping establish Russian media."
Washington police would not confirm his death, saying only that they were investigating the death of someone on the block where the hotel is located in a fashionable area of Washington.
US officials notified the Russian embassy of Lesin's death and authorities from both countries are trying to determine the circumstances in which he died.
Lesin was Russia's minister of press, television and radio between 1999 and 2004 and later served as a Kremlin aide.
Lesin was supposed to be probed last year on suspicion of money laundering and corruption, ABC said.
He allegedly amassed millions of dollars in assets in Europe and the United States while working for the government, including $28 million (26 million euros) in real estate in Los Angeles.
"That a Russian public servant could have amassed the considerable funds required to acquire and maintain these assets in Europe and the United States raises serious questions," Wicker wrote, according to ABC.It said it was unclear whether the FBI had actually opened an investigation.
In 2014, Lesin told Forbes he thought it was okay that most television channels in Russia were state-controlled.
"I am a state man," he said.
23 comments:
Hmmmmmm...deaths everywhere
Sad ;linda make we dey go church na sunday
Sad;linda make we dey go church
D wont confirm him dead..U.s sef ehn diplomacy even at death...#6
Na wa o!
I am a state man...RIP stateman.....
Alright then!
RIP MAN
Also Check www.vabadon.com
Are u working for CIA also for tailoring news,what makes lesin controversial?becos he is a Russian
I hope the Americans do not have a hand in this... cos if they do, the Russians won't take it lightly.
He prolly took the honorable way out instead of facing the disgrace of a trial.
James Bond, you are needed here to investigate.
RIP sir.
Olly
Linda, I think u should start ur blogging in the afternoons on sundays, maybe around 1pm there about, for those that will be going to church. Don't u go to church too? Have a rest day or something.
I tell you. May his soul rest in peace. Linda take note!
RIP to the dead
Rest his soul! Money is not
Rest on
RIP ... God giveth and taketh
Someone Blew Off His Candle! RIP! http://www.bummyla.com
RIP to him..
#TeamBlessed#
RIP to him and Lord pls save us frm untimely deaths.
RIP to him and Lord pls save us frm untimely deaths.
Comment frm ROYAL PRIESTHOOD (royalpriesthood007@gmail.com)
RIP
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