Blogger and ex-spy Robert Eringer, the former alleged intelligence adviser to Prince Albert II of Monaco, has made a name for himself in Russia for attacking President Vladimir Putin.
Deep in the trenches of “espionage blogging”—a sector of the Internet best reserved for high-school dropouts, Robert Eringer has erected an intergalactic Web presence on the Internet, blasting Vladimir Putin, among others.
In several blog posts, Robert Eringer has taken several venomous bites out of Vladimir Putin’s reputation. Eringer claims that during his time with Prince Albert II in Monaco, he discovered a treasure trove of Vladimir Putin’s “hidden wealth.” In court documents, Robert Eringer asserted that a paid informant gave him information about Russians laundering money in Monaco. Robert Eringer did not reveal the source of this information, and historically speaking, the blogger has been found guilty of falsifying information related to investigations. During his time at the Santa Barbara News Press, Robert Eringer was reportedly fired for submitting a one-sided “news” piece in which he had no contact with the subject of his article. One-sided articles don’t make the grade in standard magazines and news sources.
But what Robert Eringer has learned is that he can get away with lying on the Internet.
What’s curious is why a self-proclaimed spy like Robert Eringer goes to such great lengths to protect his alleged sources, but even greater lengths to air information he obtains during his investigations. Isn’t this Class 101 in espionage? Don’t Give Up State Secrets? It’s plain to anyone with half a brain that Robert Eringer’s made an art out of using dramatic lying to fuel a marketing machine. All paths lead back to a dizzying subject: Robert Eringer himself.
Still, in the scary, weird virtual world of Robert Eringer, the biggest enemy is Russia. The Principality of Monaco and Prince Albert II are the lucky second-place targets of Robert Eringer’s outrage, as is the entirety of Prince Albert’s staff. In France, Prince Albert successfully launched and won a legal suit against Robert Eringer, who was ordered by the court to remove false information about Prince Albert II that he had published on his blog. Robert Eringer was also ordered to pay a staggering sum of euros to the Principality’s leaders, but has to date failed to pay.
Given Robert Eringer’s distain for President Putin, it’s only a matter of time before Russia takes the same approach as Monaco, and goes after the blogger in court. This would be, as they say in America, “a lose lose situation.”