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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsGOP campaigns took $7.35 million from oligarch linked to Russia
Well, look here and pass it on.
https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/08/03/tangled-web-connects-russian-oligarch-money-gop-campaigns
Party loyalty is often cited as the reason that GOP leaders have not been more outspoken in their criticism of President Donald Trump and his refusal to condemn Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election. Yet there may be another reason that top Republicans have not been more vocal in their condemnation. Perhaps it's because they have their own links to the Russian oligarchy that they would prefer go unnoticed.
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 Leonard "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....more
Achilleaze
(15,543 posts)Dustlawyer
(10,493 posts)Unless we can overcome all of the obstacles they put in our way to win elections we can never address the issue of campaign bribes. We need a complete overhaul on how we finance our candidates.
We no longer have Representative Democracy, the supposed cornerstone of our system. Politicians represent their big donors, period!
Maraya1969
(22,441 posts)malaise
(267,808 posts)History will absolve me
mnhtnbb
(31,319 posts)The big takeaway from all this is that it is illegal for any foreign entity, person, corporation, or otherwise, to contribute or try and directly influence our elections. However, one large loophole exists whereby any one of those foreign nationals can donate, without restriction or scrutiny, to other organizations that directly impact the campaign.
http://www.uky.edu/electionlaw/analysis/foreign-contributions-us-elections
and
https://www.fec.gov/updates/foreign-nationals/
BigmanPigman
(51,430 posts)be interested in? I would love to see McConnell and Ryan go down with the rest of them.
bdamomma
(63,654 posts)Does Mueller have a sniff for this???? He doesn't leave a stone unturned or should I say oligarch!
Just wow what incredible news.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)He is not a foreign national. He has lived in the United States since 1978.
Skidmore
(37,364 posts)His connections in Russia with Putin's associates run deep. Manafort is a citizen too but that didn't stop him from murky associations and concerning acts.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)He is definitely a shady guy, but I did want to make the point that he is an American citizen.
I also think it's important to be aware that he has donated money to Democrats too.
OnDoutside
(19,906 posts)where it ends. No matter how dirty he may be.
Volaris
(10,260 posts)I wanna know where that money was BEFORE it was deposited into his account.
KY_EnviroGuy
(14,483 posts)mnhtnbb
(31,319 posts)Ukrainian born.
Where is his allegiance? Is he the equivalent of a mole, but someone intended to gain access (interesting, isn't it, the name of his privately held conglomerate?) to the top levels of money controlling power/politics in the US?
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/aug/28/oxford-university-professor-bo-rothstein-resigns-donald-trump-protest
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)If blavatnik had any conversations with Russia about these donations, that could be illegal -- helping a foreigner contribute anything of value is illegal.
Or if he took any money from Russians and discussed donations with them, could be illegal.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)And is an American citizen.
Not Ruth
(3,613 posts)oberliner
(58,724 posts)Then I would say, yes he is.
Not Ruth
(3,613 posts)Not to mention 100% of DC politicians and lobbyists worth over a million $.
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)See this Politico article
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/07/18/to-my-fellow-plutocrats-you-can-cure-trumpism-215347
In Russia, oligarchs owe loyalty to Putin. In America, it seems their main loyalty is to the almighty dollar.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)By Googling "define oligarch"
ol·i·garch
ˈäləˌɡärk
noun
1.
a ruler in an oligarchy.
2.
(especially in Russia) a very rich business leader with a great deal of political influence.
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)I'm confident some Dems will go down in this scandal.
The scandal is about Russia intervening first. They intervened mostly for Trump and mostly for the GOP. But it's Russia first.
ProudProgressiveNow
(6,129 posts)WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)😁
FailureToCommunicate
(13,989 posts)Skidmore
(37,364 posts)The one whose plane used to follow Trump from one of his rallies to the next. Why? Is he that enamoured that hes a groupie? Was he ever physically spotted at one? Was he providing some in-kind support?
L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)What kind of equipment is inside the plane?
unc70
(6,095 posts)Rybolovlev is the fertilizer oligarch.
Deripaskas plane has also been near Trump several times although Deripaska is banned from the US.
Skidmore
(37,364 posts)Forgot to cut & paste the other name.
FailureToCommunicate
(13,989 posts)It's ALL so bizarr-ski.
onetexan
(12,994 posts)yuiyoshida
(41,759 posts)Collusion money? I hope it sticks .
madokie
(51,076 posts)I want charges filed against every last one of these traitors.
Oh thats right we live in america where that is fine now.
tblue37
(64,979 posts)Maraya1969
(22,441 posts)Wounded Bear
(58,440 posts)BainsBane
(53,001 posts)All of them.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)They are 1000 times more corrupt than Hillary ever dreamed of being.
KY_EnviroGuy
(14,483 posts)Watching Mitch's history, if he thought he did something in the Senate that brought one single job to his state, any amount of dirty money would be moral and justified. He took tons of tobacco money for many years.
bdamomma
(63,654 posts)see these a$$hole traitors to be thrown out and secured in a prison very soon. Fuck them all. Greedy bastards.
bdamomma
(63,654 posts)lindysalsagal
(20,440 posts)These clowns all think they can get away with anything.
Midnight Writer
(21,546 posts)Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)Hekate
(90,189 posts)ancianita
(35,812 posts)Mueller: "all your financial are belong to us."