Are you ready to rummmmmble?!
In the left — er, right? – corner, the scrappy underdogs who made good turned possible peddlers of information stolen by Russian hackers: WikiLeaks!
Annnnnnnnd in this corner, standing a reasonably tall height, the former US ambassador to Russia and current professor at Stanford University: Michael McFaul!
As the pugilists prepare, a recap for everyone just tuning in:
And with that:
And here's McFaul with the opening salvo, a scorcher of a hit given the US's recent accusation that Russian hackers have been trying to influence the presidential race!
Can people STOP referring to Wikileaks as a news organization. They are a foreign agent, supported by Russia, publishing stolen data.
Ooooh, and a fierce counter-blow from WikiLeaks, raising the awards that reporters won writing about the documents it put into the public eye!
@McFaul WikiLeaks is an award winning independent media organization, funded entirely by its readers, book and film sales.
How will the Stanford Stunner respond?!
And it's a killer combo from McFaul, one-two-three!
We disagree. You publish stolen data & in American election, have made it clear that you are overtly partisan. https://t.co/NfzHHELjDK
You have become famous & therefore generate these $s by publishing stolen property. How is that any different from… https://t.co/bjUGz56Wmp
You work is also underwritten by Russian intelligence services. That makes your claim to being "independent" suspe… https://t.co/MIKoe8UAWl
Your claim to being independent would be more credible if you published stolen data about Putin & Trump. You have n… https://t.co/ioKD83sQK9
But wait! This one-on-one duel is turning into a battle royale, as WikiLeaks followers climb on board, leaving McFaul fending off challengers left and right.
Russian intelligence recorded & published a private conversation I had in a Marriot hotel in Moscow. Trump is talki… https://t.co/9tSA6kLzy2
In the middle of the scrum, back in leaps WikiLeaks with a jab at McFaul's knowledge of the law.
@McFaul Copied. Not stolen. The holder retains full use. Law 101.
And the low blow: WikiLeaks denying to McFaul's digital face that he was a friend to murdered Russian opposition leader Boris Nemstov.
@McFaul You were, and continue to be, no friend of Nemstov, who was open about his beliefs and who died years after our publications.
With that, both fighters retreated to their respective corner. McFaul, in an email interview with BuzzFeed News, said that he was concerned about retaliation from Wikileaks' followers.
