01E07 - The Traitor

Tom's photo op with world class US track coach and former track star Brad Weston before he and the US team heads off to Russia for a prestigious track meet is followed by a series of bad news for Tom from his key staff. First, he learns from Aaron that Majid Nassar was murdered by an unknown perpetrator while in custody, this news which will remain out of the media until Tom gets some concrete answers as to what happened. Second, he finds from Emily that Weston, upon touching down in Moscow, was arrested for possession of performance enhancing drugs, specifically human growth hormones (HGH), found in his luggage, an offense in Russia punishable by life imprisonment. And third, he is told by Seth that a reporter has a source, a lawyer representing a convicted criminal, stating that the convict is Leo's biological father, with the reporter waiting for confirmation from Seth as to the story's validity. Aaron and Emily urge the President to get a good news story out in the media immediately - specifically naming Congressman MacLeish as his Vice-President - to get their PR back on a positive track. With the first, Jason, who is summoned into a meeting with the president, is urged by Hannah to divulge to the president what they know about Congressman MacLeish's involvement in the bombing and thus Nassar's murder. Under the circumstances, Jason is unable to do so. He and Hannah, who goes to one of her old secret CIA sources to assist in discovering the identity of Catalan, will find how far those for who MacLeish is working are willing to go to get MacLeish in the position of power. With the second, Secretary of State Anne Paulsen and CIA Director Carrera inform Tom that Weston was working unofficially for them, as he was willing to provide information on what he saw on any of his overseas trips in his capacity of honored guest in those countries, which means that the drugs were planted by the Russians in knowing that he is an American spy. In Tom discussing what seems to the impossible diplomatic situation with his team, Emily thinks she has a play that can get Weston released. They will find that others have their own plays in response. And with the third, Tom, who was aware of the existence of "Jeffrey Meyers" in Alex's life before they met and the possibility of him being Leo's biological father (a DNA test which was never conducted to prove parentage), and Alex have to decide what to do not only about the story but about telling Leo.