The acting undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs has been revealed to be married to a Russian woman with links to the Kremlin, The Telegraph first reported on Tuesday.

Darren Beattie, who caused much consternation within the State Department due to his pro-Russian views, is married to Yulia Kirillova — whose uncle has direct ties to Moscow and once received a personal “thank you” message from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kirillova, who was educated in Canada and the U.S., according to her Facebook page, is the niece of Sergei Chernikov, a Russian businessman who owns a successful beverage conglomerate. Kirillova is said to have moved to Washington, D.C., in late January, just prior to Beattie accepting his position with President Donald Trump’s administration.

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