Welcome to Words Matter with Katie Barlow.

Welcome to Words Matter, I'm Katie Barlow.

Our goal is to promote objective reality.

As a wise man once said, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, not their own facts.

Words have power and words have consequences.

This week we want to tell you about a fantastic new True Crime mini-series from one of our favorite podcast producers, Wondry.

It's called Spy Affair and it's a must listen.

Russian Influence in the 2016 US presidential election shook the American political system to its core.

It had been more than two decades since Russia had been a serious threat to the power and influence of the United States.

With an economy the size of Italy's, Russia was not the formidable Cold War foe had been for the more than 70 years it ruled the Soviet Union with an iron fist.

The US government and more specifically the US intelligence community discounted Russia's ability to threaten US interests both at home and abroad.

All of that changed in 2016 with the election of Donald Trump as evidence of Russia's role in his unlikely ascent to power became public.

Two years later Maria Bhutina, an alleged Russian operative sent to America to influence US politics, was arrested on charges of being a foreign agent.

She quickly found herself and the people around her embroiled in a massive FBI counterintelligence investigation.

Maria would be portrayed as a spy and a woman who strung a web of lies all focused on completing her primary mission.

Influence government officials in positions of power to benefit her home country, Russia.

Wondry's new mini-series Spy Affair is an inside look at the shocking true story of a woman who started her time in America with a trip to Disneyland and ended it as a convicted criminal.

We're about to play you a brief clip from the show, but while you're listening make sure to follow Spy Affair on Apple podcasts or you can listen early and add free by starting your free trial of Wondry Plus in the Wondry app.

Please click on the link in the show notes for this preview.

That's Spy Affair on Apple podcasts or wherever you get your shows and check out Wondry Plus in the Wondry app.

Las Vegas, Sin City, the marriage capital of the world, home to America's most beloved casinos.

And in July 2015, the site of what was built as the largest libertarian conference in the country, Freedom Fest.

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