Vladimir Putin (YouTube)

I’m a bit of a spy buff, I’ve read several books written by real ex-spooks and also interviewed a few of them. So when Russia arrested former Marine Paul Whelan on spy charges, I knew they snatched him to set up a swap for Maria Butina, the Russian spy who infiltrated the NRA and the Republican Party.

But the true story of Whelan is even more bizarre. Whelan was court-martialed from the Marine Corps for attempting to steal $10,000 from the U.S. government while in Iraq. He also bounced about $6,000 in checks and has passports from at least four different countries, America, Britain, Ireland and Canada. So right now, several diplomats are struggling to figure out what to do with him. However, that shady background didn’t stop him getting a job in corporate security.

In addition, when he was in Russia, he regularly blogged about his activities on a Russian social media site. That’s not exactly a great way to work undercover.

Real spies have distanced themselves from Whelan.

“I did not remain in touch with him after the deployment, but I do have 15 years of experience doing intelligence,” said T.J. Sjostrom, an intelligence officer, who served in Whelan’s unit, according to the Washington Post. “No intelligence agency would take someone with his record to be a spy.”

Dan Hoffman, who formerly headed up the CIA’s Moscow office, also said it was highly unlikely the agency would send an American into Russia without diplomatic cover. According to the Post, Hoffman said Whelan, who has frequently visited Russia, was probably under surveillance the minute he stepped foot in the country.

Whelan’s family has also denied he has ties to the intelligence community.

“Paul is a kind and considerate brother, son and uncle, and a generous and loyal friend,” said his brother in a Washington Post op-ed. “He travels as often as he can, both for work and pleasure. He is many things to many people, but he is not a spy.”

Whalen probably isn’t a spy, he’s a poor soul who got caught in a bigger game of international intrigue. MSNBC intelligence expert Malcolm Nance said the Russians will likely use harsh measures to squeeze a confession out of him.

The Russians want to find a solution to the Butina situation which makes both them and Trump look good. If they agree to a spy swap, the Butina scandal disappears and Trump looks good by bringing home a veteran and Trump supporter. At least that’s the way Trump will sell it.

The Russians have been embarrassed by the Butina spy scandal and want it to quickly go away. Although Russian President Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer, claims that none of his country’s intelligence agencies know who Butina is, it’s highly unlikely she is a freelance operative working on her own.

Putin has an iron grip on Russia, nothing happens in that country without him giving the green light. It’s hard to believe that Butina mounted an operation to infiltrate one side of the American political system without his knowledge.

Whalen was probably lured into a Russian trap to give Trump, Putin’s asset, an out. The Russians want to find a solution to the Butina situation which makes both them and Trump look good. If they agree to a spy swap, the Butina scandal disappears and Trump looks good by bringing home a veteran and Trump supporter. At least that’s the way Trump will sell it. But it looks like Whalen was set up by the Russians to fail.