Effort to ease Russian sanctions boosted by former Louisiana senator

[DonViejo]

By Manu Raju and Jeremy Herb, CNN

Updated 6:27 PM ET, Wed January 16, 2019

(CNN)Former Republican Sen. David Vitter is lobbying on behalf of companies linked to a Russian oligarch with ties to President Vladimir Putin, aligning himself with Trump administration efforts to ease sanctions on his clients, according to documents filed with the Justice Department.

Vitter, who has registered as a foreign agent, lobbied with several countries' ambassadors and the Treasury Department to ease punishing sanctions imposed on major aluminum firms tied to oligarch Oleg Deripaska. After the Treasury Department agreed last month and eased the sanctions, Vitter was spotted in the Senate ahead of critical votes taking aim at the Trump administration move.

Deripaska restructured his ownership in the firms to win over the Trump administration, which argues the oligarch's influence in his firms will be sufficiently limited in the new arrangement. But the restructuring deal has prompted sharp scrutiny on Capitol Hill since shares now will be distributed to Deripaska's family, a foundation he started and a Kremlin-linked bank sanctioned by the US government, according to documents provided to Congress.

The concerns culminated in a dramatic Senate vote Tuesday when 11 Republicans broke ranks and joined Democrats to advance a measure seeking to reimpose the sanctions. But on Wednesday, the administration was able to lean on its GOP allies to filibuster the measure from going forward, blocking the plan by 57-42, needing 60 votes to advance.

more
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/16/politics/david-vitter-lobbying-russia-sanctions/index.html