Originally Posted by DWB

Of course he did. People may not want to think he's a smart guy, and maybe he's not, but he's smart enough to be safe in Russia where he is untouchable by US authorities and by the looks of it will now probably get asylum there. Check mate.

You don't do something like this without a very detailed plan and proper connections. Otherwise they would have nailed his ass in Hong Kong, where the USA has an FBI office . Wrap your head around that. He was in Hong Kong where the FBI is located, and they STILL couldn't get him. He is being protected from some very powerful people. That's all there is to it.