Kompromat

Kompromat is damaging information about a politician, a businessperson, or other public figure, which may be used to create negative publicity, as well as for blackmail, often to exert influence rather than monetary gain, and extortion. Kompromat may be acquired from various security services, or outright forged, and then publicized by use of a public relations official.

The word kompromat comes from Russian (Russian: компромат, short for компрометирующий материал "compromising material"). Widespread use of kompromat has been one of the characteristic features of the politics of Russia, as well as of other post-Soviet states.