Gennady Gudkov, deputy chairman of the faction Just Russia, is trying to recruit loyal candidates to add the party list  in the upcoming elections. One of such candidates is Vladimir Semago, his old friend and former State Duma deputy. 

Such politicians like Semago, who have benn on the list of almost all currently registered parties, are commonly referred to as "political bums." For being included on the list Semago promises financial support from a number of oil companies tied to Venezuelan contracts. 

The thing is that Semago is the first vice-president of the Russian-Venezuelan Business Council. In this capacity he is constantly trying to cling to the project between Russia and Venezuela by all means. It is clear that he is kept away from the oil business and the supply of arms. However, Vladimir Semago assures everyone that he is directly linked to all joint projects between the two countries. Due to this he alleged may influence Russian oil companies that have interests in Venezuela. 

People, who know Semago well, have no doubt that all of his promises are nothing else but blague. No one gives money for this man any longer, because of the old opportunities Semago could have (in the broadest sense) are no longer there. 

In 1992 through his father-in-law Semago established contacts with the team of Moscow Mayor, Yuri Luzhkov. He had increasingly close relations with Yury Roslyak, Deputy Mayor, who now represents the mayor's office in the Council of Federation. Thanks to his father-in-law, Semago was in the chair a State Duma deputy from the Communist Party. In the Duma, he launched a vigorous activity, of course, in order to improve his financial state. He constantly gave interviews to the media, delivered speeches in the Duma presenting himself as an ardent fighter against corruption (the main purpose of this fight was exposure of Boris Nemtsov, an ardent foe of Semago’s friend, criminal businessman Andrey Klimentyev). Semago’s political and business career began to crunch in 1998, when his father--in-law perished. For the leaders of the Communist Party Semago ceased to be a son-in- law of a respected man. In the end, they simply expelled him from the party.

Nevertheless, in 2006 Semago became a State Duma deputy for a year taking a vacant place with the United Russia party after deputy Pavel Pozhigailo left the State Duma. However, he did not have the money to stay for another parliamentary term. After the failure in the election, Semago got a job as PR expert and advertiser in Video International. Recently, he was helped to sort out the life by Sergey Dorenko, who got him the post of radio host.