Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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White House official: Children tied to Russian spy case to leave U.S.

MSNBC is reporting that all children tied to the Russian spy case have left or are in the process of leaving the country.

GW junior Tim Foley is one of at least eight children connected to the case. His parents, Donald Howard Heathfield and Tracey Lee Ann Foley admitted in US District Court that their real names are Andrey Bezrukov and Elena Vavilova.

According to an article in the Boston Globe, Foley has custody of his 16-year-old brother Alex Foley.

Both Foley and Alex were allegedly born in Canada, but it is unclear, the Globe reported, if they are U.S. citizens if they will be allowed to stay in the United States.

“The 20-year-old has custody of the 16-year-old with their parents’ permission,” the Vavilova’s attorney Robert Sheketoff said to the Globe . “They’ll be able to make their own choices about how they conduct their lives. I don’t think they have any real plans right now. This all happened so quickly.”

University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard said federal laws protecting student privacy prevented her from saying if Foley will be returning to GW in the fall.

Administrators in the Elliott School of International Affairs also refused to comment on the matter, stating they had a commitment to protecting the privacy of their students.

The ten spy suspects plead guilty to spying for Russia Thursday, and were subsequently deported. By Friday morning, the spies were sent to Moscow and were exchanged for four individuals who were jailed in Russia.

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