Tangled web connects Russian oligarch money to GOP campaigns

[time4fun]

Dallas Morning News is reporting today that millions of dollars of Russian Oligarch money is flowing into the campaigns of top Republican officials:

Donald Trump and the political action committees for Mitch McConnell, Marco Rubio, Scott Walker, Lindsey Graham, John Kasich and John McCain accepted $7.35 million in contributions from a Ukrainian-born oligarch who is the business partner of two of Russian president Vladimir Putin's favorite oligarchs and a Russian government bank.
During the 2015-2016 election season, Ukrainian-born billionaire Leonid "Len" Blavatnik contributed $6.35 million to leading Republican candidates and incumbent senators. Mitch McConnell was the top recipient of Blavatnik's donations, collecting $2.5 million for his GOP Senate Leadership Fund under the names of two of Blavatnik's holding companies, Access Industries and AI Altep Holdings, according to Federal Election Commission documents and OpenSecrets.org.

Marco Rubio's Conservative Solutions PAC and his Florida First Project received $1.5 million through Blavatnik's two holding companies. Other high dollar recipients of funding from Blavatnik were PACS representing Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker at $1.1 million, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham at $800,000, Ohio Governor John Kasich at $250,000 and Arizona Senator John McCain at $200,000.

In January, Quartz reported that Blavatnik donated another $1 million to Trump's Inaugural Committee. Ironically, the shared address of Blavatnik's companies is directly across the street from Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in New York.

Blavatnik's relationships with Russian oligarchs close to Putin, particularly Oleg Deripaska, should be worrisome for Trump and the six GOP leaders who took Blavatnik's money during the 2016 presidential campaign. Lucky for them no one has noticed. Yet.

Oleg Deripaska is the founder and majority owner of RUSAL, the world's second largest aluminum company, based in Russia. Len Blavatnik owns a significant stake in RUSAL and served on its Board until November 10, 2016, two days after Donald Trump was elected. Blavatnik's resignation from RUSAL's board was published on the company's website with a note in all caps: "NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES."

Deripaska controls RUSAL with a 48 percent majority stake through his holding company, EN+ Group, and the Russian government owns 4.35 percent stake of EN+ Group through its second-largest state owned bank, VTB. VTB was exposed in the Panama papers in 2016for facilitating the flow of billions of dollars to offshore companies linked to Vladimir Putin and is under sanctions by the U.S. government.

It's worth noting that the money is flowing through someone who is a US citizen, and that some of the people on that list have been critical of Trump's take on the Russia investigations. So it doesn't feel as clear-cut as the title suggests. Having said that, it's another demonstration of the way Russian political interests have made their way into US elections (and those of numerous other countries).

[Tgo01]

At this point I think time4fun is just a caricature of a typical rabid far left lunatic. It really is the only explanation.

[Neveragain]

[Wrathbringer]

At this point I think time4fun is just a caricature of a typical rabid far left lunatic. It really is the only explanation.

This is correct.

[Wrathbringer]

Dallas Morning News is reporting today that millions of dollars of Russian Oligarch money is flowing into the campaigns of top Republican officials:

It's worth noting that the money is flowing through someone who is a US citizen, and that some of the people on that list have been critical of Trump's take on the Russia investigations. So it doesn't feel as clear-cut as the title suggests. Having said that, it's another demonstration of the way Russian political interests have made their way into US elections (and those of numerous other countries).

lol @ your rep

[Wrathbringer]

Also, fake news, no one cares and you're retarded.

[The Donald]

OMFGBBQ YOU STUPID CUNT NOONE FUCKING CARES

TRUMP WON. PUT YOUR TRAYS IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION. SIT DOWN. AND SHUT THE FUCK UP. THANK YOU.

[Tgo01]

OMFGBBQ YOU STUPID CUNT NOONE FUCKING CARES

TRUMP WON. PUT YOUR TRAYS IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION. SIT DOWN. AND SHUT THE FUCK UP. THANK YOU.

OMG! The President himself is on the PC! When are we going to make America great again?

[Astray]

OMG! The President himself is on the PC! When are we going to make America great again?

After he's done being president. OH SNAP!

[Tgo01]

After he's done being president. OH SNAP!