Newly emerged photo shows Ben Carson with key employee of sanctioned Russian oligarch

A 2014 photo shows HUD Secretary Ben Carson (center) at a gala with Alexey Komov (right), the point-man for Russian efforts to cultivate ties with American Fundamentalist Christians. Credit: Twitter screen grab

A photo emerges showing the HUD secretary with Alexey Komov, the main link between U.S. Christian

In the latest example of Russian officials rubbing elbows with members of the American right, a newly emerged photo shows Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson standing alongside a key employee of sanctioned Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeev.

The photo dates to June 2014, and appears to be from Carson’s appearance as a keynote speaker at the 2014 gala for the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), one of the most notorious anti-LGBTQ organizations extant.

Alexey Komov — shown in the photo to the right of Carson — has worked for years to ingratiate himself with the American far right, from partnering with American homeschool organizations to working with Christian fundamentalist groups to even liaising closely with Christian movie reviewers.

View the complete January 31 article by Casey Michel on the ThinkProgress website here.