Special Report: Trump's Business Network Reached Alleged Russian Mobsters

[kstewart33]

Source: USA Today

To expand his real estate developments over the years, Donald Trump, his company and partners repeatedly turned to wealthy Russians and oligarchs from former Soviet republics — several allegedly connected to organized crime, according to a USA TODAY review of court cases, government and legal documents and an interview with a former federal prosecutor.

The president and his companies have been linked to at least 10 wealthy former Soviet businessmen with alleged ties to criminal organizations or money laundering.

Trump told reporters in February: "I have no dealings with Russia. I have no deals that could happen in Russia, because we’ve stayed away. And I have no loans with Russia. I have no loans with Russia at all."

Yet in 2013, after Trump addressed potential investors in Moscow, he bragged to Real Estate Weekly about his access to Russia's rich and powerful. “I have a great relationship with many Russians, and almost all of the oligarchs were in the room,” Trump said, referring to Russians who made fortunes when former Soviet state enterprises were sold to private investors.



Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/03/28/trump-business-past-ties-russian-mobsters-organized-crime/98321252/

---

Long but worth reading. Evident that USA Today spent time/effort on this story.

[Achilleaze]

1. republican Draft-&-Tax Dodger-in-Chief selling out America

and his republican comrades will not lift a freakin finger to defend America from Russia's "acts of war," as Dick Cheney calls them.

on the KGOpee-russian symps & republican fellow travelers who will not protect America.

[trueblue2007]

13. I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM AGREEING WITH DICK CHENEY

[red dog 1]

34. Me too!

Who would have thought?

[Blanks]

2. I know this isn't true because...

I saw Sean Spicer say "no".

[ProudLib72]

3. Lock him up! nt

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Survival

Hear no evil, see no evil

"I know nothing!"

[True Blue American]

37. You just described the Republican Party

You could also add,Do all the evil you can,while you can!

[blitzen]

5. USA Today has been doing good work on this...lately...

But this all should have been headlines in the MSM during the campaign! Instead they fell for Putin's Hillary e-mail propaganda and helped make a world-class criminal pathological liar President.

[kstewart33]

6. Good point.

MSM has a lot to answer for in their coverage of the presidential campaigns. Unfortunately, they haven't batted an eye about it, and won't.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. The Russian government is basically a criminal enterprise.

It's like the Mafia, only way bigger and richer. The "oligarchs" (dictionary definition: "a person who belongs to a small group of people who govern or control a country&quot in Russia are extremely wealthy business people who are rich because of their connections to the government - and government officials like Putin and Medvedev are rich because of their connections with the oligarchy. It's really all part of the same system. It's safe to say that the wealthiest people in Russia did not become wealthy because of their business acumen but because they were in bed with Putin et al. For years they have been siphoning off the money generated by Russia's oil and gas production, the only significant source of wealth in Russia.

So: If you are doing business in Russia that involves any substantial financial transactions, you can be pretty damn sure that your business partners are criminals, and that by doing business with them you are becoming part of their enterprise. I'd bet kroner to kruggerands that what SCROTUS and his minions are trying so hard to cover up is not just the Russians' attempts at electronic election-rigging, but the underlying financial crimes that are likely part of the quid pro quo - or blackmail. Putin wants to help Trump win because he thinks Trump will lift the sanctions, but he has leverage as well. Far more damaging than the golden showers kompromat is what the Russians probably have on him related to to financial matters. The answer to just about any complex investigation can be found if you follow the money - this was also true of Watergate. The financial crimes are likely to be along the lines of tax evasion, money laundering and racketeering. Why doesn't SCROTUS want to disclose his tax returns? Probably as much on account of what's not in them as what is.

Tie up the relationships among Manafort, Carter Page, Flynn, etc., and now Kushner, the bankers in Cyprus, Russia and Ukraine, Ambassador Kislyak....

[GliderGuider]

15. Good analysis. Follow the money. nt

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

21. Indeed

I think it was Condoleezza Rice (who I generally don't agree with) who said the Russian government were essentially gangsters with a gas station.

[yardwork]

22. Yes, and Russian investments in NYC real estate are part of this too.

And that's where Melania came into the picture, too.

[Wounded Bear]

25. Pretty well put...

I couldn't care less about porn flicks filmed in Trump's hotel rooms.

Indeed, follow the money. I suspect the Russians have far more on Trump than some shitty sex tapes.

I've said here numerous times, Putin & Co probably own Trump. Dig up his financials.

[meow2u3]

27. The Russian government reads like mob fascism

Not only is the Russian government and businesses intertwined, but it's also entwined with organized crime.

So we can safely call it something worse than fascism--criminal fascism.

[JonLP24]

30. Eastern European Criminal Organizations have their hooks into Russia government

Also in a lot of other neighboring countries where corruption is high such as Ukraine or Kosovo. There really isn't much of a line between the 2 particularly with all the contract killings going on.

[red dog 1]

35. + 1

[elmac]

8. One of my favorite Sec's of Defense, James Forrestal once said

"...no group in this country should be permitted to influence our policy to the point it could endanger our national security."

[Wolf Frankula]

9. The National Enquirer Said tRump had Found Moscow's Agent in the White House.

It was easy. He just had to look in the mirror.

Wolf

[BadgerMom]

10. Frustrating, but thank you for the link

I find it frustrating that Trump announced his candidacy in June 2015 and a story like this is brought to light now. I mean, better late than never, I guess, but it doesn't take Russiagate to suggest Trump might have mob ties. I thought it when he first made noises about running. I thought, "Sure, Donald. You think your Atlantic City ties won't be investigated by enterprising journalist?" How wrong I was! The media was asleep at the wheel this election cycle.

[yardwork]

20. Too busy talking about Hillary's emails.

[ehrnst]

11. But...but...isn't this Russia stuff all just lies by the Deep State?????

See also: Alex Jones AND Glenn Greenwald....

[BadgerMom]

28. Greenwald 👎🏻

I've known there are those who hold him in high regard. I'm sure he's very smart. That said, I don't hold or value his views. He's WAY too easy on Putin and Russia for my tastes.

[ehrnst]

31. Yep. (nt)

[H2O Man]

12. Very important.

Recommended.

Thank you.

[kstewart33]

14. You're welcome.

For the first time, I'm beginning to believe that the walls are closing in on Trump.

[H2O Man]

16. They are.

The House committee has served its purpose: the nation heard Comey say the Trump folks are being investigated. Nunes got scared, and tried to help the White House. Yet the House committee isn't nearly as important as the Senate's. Things have really picked up. It's a fascinating time in this nation's history.

[yardwork]

19. And, thanks to assholes who couldn't bear to vote Democratic, Congress will do nothing.

With the Republicans in control of Congress, nothing will be done. The only hope is to turn out Democratic votes in 2018 and beyond.

[Wounded Bear]

26. Nunez basically torpedoed the House investigation...

mission accomplished, sort of. Sure, nobody will trust their findings, if they continue. But Nunez's actions just make them look more guilty.

As one pundit said, this is what a cover-up looks like.

[wishstar]

17. Well worth reading- great details about large number of criminals tied to Trump & Co.

Most corrupt Admin in history

[yardwork]

18. Trump bragging about business deals with Russian oligarchs.

[SticksnStones]

23. Think it's related to today's arrests?

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Is this how Trump goes down on RICO charges and not treason?

[Botany]

24. Trump's ties to the mob go way back

The man is crook and a con man. And he is barking fucking mad too.

[cilla4progress]

29. And tomorrow, Dr. Maddow is going to say

"remember at the end of March 2017, when Trump's business network reached alleged Russian mobsters?", and we are all going to say, "yeah"....

You've noticed that all her breaking stories were actually out in the public domain at the same time as the criminal activitie. She is simply pulling the threads and connecting the dots!

[niyad]

32. k and r and bookmarking for later. only so much ugly I can handle before lunch.

[Dorn]

33. The republicians have tied a boat anchor to their necks -- when will they cut the line?

At some point the Congress will awaken and DT will go down.

[red dog 1]

36. When will the GOP-controlled Congress finally DO something about all this?

Perhaps a better question might be:
Will the GOP-controlled Congress EVER do anything about all this?


K&R, thanks for posting.

[KewlKat]

38. kick