A few weeks ago I published a story about one of the then-DOGE lieutenants who has since gone back to his full time job of IT director at X -- Branden Spikes.
The story mentioned Spikes had set up a website for the California Russian Foundation, an entity that his Russian (now ex) wife was the CEO of. The CRF also went by other names, like the Russian Heritage Foundation. Both of these organizations ran fundraisers tied to the Russian Orthodox Church, which has broken with the rest of the Eastern Orthodox churches for its strong support of the Kremlin in its war against Ukraine.
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/03/who-is-the-doge-and-x-technician-branden-spikes/
I bring this up again because I just finished reading this informative post about the alignment between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Kremlin, and how the latter uses the former as a form of soft power:
"While officially a religious organization, under President Vladimir Putin’s regime, the ROC has increasingly acted as a soft power tool for advancing Russian geopolitical interests. Its collaboration with the state extends beyond traditional religious functions, encompassing strategic information campaigns, cultural diplomacy, and efforts to influence foreign religious communities in line with Moscow's broader foreign policy objectives. This alignment has allowed the ROC to serve as a key instrument in Russia's hybrid warfare strategy, utilizing faith-based narratives to legitimize political and military actions, both domestically and internationally."
