Was BuzzFeed editor approached to join Russian spy ring? 'Did you accept?'

Brett T. | 5:29 PM on January 26, 2015

The FBI says it has arrested a member of a Russian spy ring and charged two others with attempting to recruit members in the New York City area. National Public Radio’s Carrie Johnson reports that the spy ring attempted to recruit young women from a major New York university.

Alleged Russian spy ring aimed to recruit workers @ big companies, "several young women w ties to major university in New York," @SDNYnews

— Carrie Johnson (@johnson_carrie) January 26, 2015

Many items caught on wiretap by #FBI in the alleged Russian spy ring case are NSFW (or public radio) but laugh-out-loud funny anyway.

— Carrie Johnson (@johnson_carrie) January 26, 2015

Speaking of laugh-out-loud funny, is it possible that a Russian spy attempted to recruit BuzzFeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith?

Years ago had a Russian "journalist" make some kind of recruitment effort in my direction http://t.co/Nh9WfJP6XG

— Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen) January 26, 2015

@CuffyMeh @JammieWF In your dreams you did, Benny. Why would they bother?

— Michael Walsh (@dkahanerules) January 26, 2015

@BuzzFeedBen of course you were, "Ben Smith."

— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) January 26, 2015

@BuzzFeedBen and what did you do? did you accept?

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 26, 2015

@JakeSherman didn't get what was going on til a while later

— Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen) January 26, 2015

@BuzzFeedBen @JakeSherman did you accept *then*?

— Olivier Knox (@OKnox) January 26, 2015

@BuzzFeedBen @JakeSherman so how long have you been working for the Russians? How's the pay? Do you get benefits?

— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) January 26, 2015