GOP campaigns took $7.35 million from oligarch linked to Russia

[Skidmore]

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]

1. republicans in wholesale betrayal of America

[Dustlawyer]

15. The root cause of most of our problems, these kind of bribes!

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]

2. Kick and Rec. This needs to be on the Greatest Page

[malaise]

3. They stole it

History will absolve me

[mnhtnbb]

4. Is it illegal? There is a loophole, but...

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]

5. Do you think that this is something Mueller would

be interested in? I would love to see McConnell and Ryan go down with the rest of them.

[bdamomma]

40. Exactly

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]

6. Blavatnik is an American citizen

He is not a foreign national. He has lived in the United States since 1978.

[Skidmore]

10. Read the whole article.

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]

11. I've read the whole article

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]

31. I agree, once he is an American citizen, and he provided that money from his bank account, that's

where it ends. No matter how dirty he may be.

[Volaris]

34. Money Laundering Made Easy, I suppose...

I wanna know where that money was BEFORE it was deposited into his account.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

36. These dudes know quite well how to cover their tracks. n/t

[mnhtnbb]

14. He actually holds dual passports: US and UK

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]

19. But helping a foreigner donate IS illegal

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]

7. Blavatnik also donated money to Democrats

And is an American citizen.

[Not Ruth]

8. Is he an oligarch?

[oberliner]

9. If "oligarch" means "a very rich business leader with a great deal of political influence"

Then I would say, yes he is.

[Not Ruth]

12. So Zuckerberg, Trump, Cuban, Bloomberg would be oligarchs under your definition

Not to mention 100% of DC politicians and lobbyists worth over a million $.

[sharedvalues]

21. Yes, Trump, Zuckerberg are plutocrats if not oligarchs

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]

25. That's the definition I found online

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]

20. Of course. Russian strategy: both sides

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]

13. K&R nt

[WinkyDink]

16. Lenny Blavatnik! He was on the 43-Man Squamish Team at Potrzebie High!

😁

[FailureToCommunicate]

17. Kicked, in the hope that this turns out to be more fire than smoke.

[Skidmore]

22. I know. This is the guy who Rachel always talked about.

The one whose plane used to follow Trump from one of his rallies to the next. Why? Is he that enamoured that he“s a groupie? Was he ever physically spotted at one? Was he providing some in-kind support?

[L. Coyote]

24. Is his plane a spy plane?

What kind of equipment is inside the plane?

[unc70]

27. No, that is Rybolovlev's plane

Rybolovlev is the fertilizer oligarch.

Deripaska’s plane has also been “near” Trump several times although Deripaska is banned from the US.

[Skidmore]

30. Sorry for confusion.

Forgot to cut & paste the other name.

[FailureToCommunicate]

38. "Black Caviar" ?

It's ALL so bizarr-ski.

[onetexan]

18. follow the money

[yuiyoshida]

23. Bribe money from a foreign power?

Collusion money? I hope it sticks .

[madokie]

26. Charges

I want charges filed against every last one of these traitors.

Oh thats right we live in america where that is fine now.

[tblue37]

28. K&R for visibility. nt

[Maraya1969]

29. I think they should be prosecuted for colluding also

[Wounded Bear]

32. K & R...for visibility...nt

[BainsBane]

33. Lock them up

All of them.

[smirkymonkey]

35. Beat me to it.

They are 1000 times more corrupt than Hillary ever dreamed of being.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

37. McConnell does not give a shit. He's a honey badger.

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]

39. I want to

see these a$$hole traitors to be thrown out and secured in a prison very soon. Fuck them all. Greedy bastards.

[bdamomma]

41. K&R

[lindysalsagal]

42. Guess the threats to reveal the truth went unheeded.

These clowns all think they can get away with anything.

[Midnight Writer]

43. Every politician should be asked in every appearance if they accepted money from this guy.

[Angry Dragon]

44. TRAITORS ALL

[Solly Mack]

45. K&R

[Hekate]

46. Oh gods. KnR

[ancianita]

47. They won't impeach themselves, but if, at any point, they've lied to the FBI, they're indictable.

Mueller: "all your financial are belong to us."