intriguer

Second, any attempt to portray the suspects as dangerous intriguers seems destined to fail.

Mr. Filin was often perceived as an intriguer prone to favoritism who pressured dance critics to pan dancers he did not like, such as Mr. Dmitrichenko.

But it was obscured by Peres's later reputation as an effective political operator - an "intriguer" as he was known in Israel.

In Mr. Bernard’s place came a typical intriguer who disqualified modernizing candidates and put in criminals.

“It protects you from the liberal problem of good intentions and from being called an intriguer.”