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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsGOP campaigns took $7.35 million from oligarch linked to Russia
Dallas Morning News
Commentary at Aug 3
GOP campaigns took $7.35 million from oligarch linked to Russia
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.
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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.
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https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/08/03/tangled-web-connects-russian-oligarch-money-gop-campaigns
deminks
(11,014 posts)Scarsdale
(9,426 posts)and they will follow you anywhere. McCain should not get a free pass on this, either, because of his health.
tblue37
(65,408 posts)Keating 5?)
get the red out
(13,466 posts)And the Russians are holding the RNC emails they hacked into, but didn't release over their heads, IMO.
jaxind
(1,074 posts)Now that Meghan McCain is a co-host on The View, I wonder if they will bring this up. If they do......awkward!!
ancianita
(36,095 posts)lindysalsagal
(20,692 posts)lindysalsagal
(20,692 posts)When will we figure out that election reform is necessary?
democratisphere
(17,235 posts)Lock them ALL up!
shraby
(21,946 posts)Chasstev365
(5,191 posts)gademocrat7
(10,659 posts)He was a willing participant in this Russian debacle.
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,007 posts)No more judicial confirmations for tRump. He has entered the last year of his presidency.
bronxiteforever
(9,287 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(49,007 posts)UCmeNdc
(9,600 posts)Hence the silence coming from Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan. They were all set up by the Russian spymaster that attended that GOP party convention that nominated Trump.
Born in Ukraine, raised in Moscow, Blavatnik emigrated to the U.S. in 1978 for school.
He made a fortune selling his stake in Russian oil company TNK-BP for $7 billion in 2013.
Owner of Warner Music, he donated $25 million to Carnegie Hall in 2016.
His Access Industries holds stakes in LyondellBasell, Rocket Internet and fashion label Tory Burch.
He is a US citizen.
Response to queentonic (Original post)
WinkyDink This message was self-deleted by its author.
L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)What would be illegal is if he is a secret conduit for foreign money.
Response to L. Coyote (Reply #18)
WinkyDink This message was self-deleted by its author.
L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)Achilleaze
(15,543 posts)In bed with America's enemies. Lying republican skuzzbags
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)I hope Mueller is looking into it.
L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)Now, if you can show it wasn't his money and came from his buddy Putin ......
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)My father was born in Europe, but that didn't make my nickel weekly allowance foreign.