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 Leonid "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.
Marco Rubio's Conservative Solutions PAC and his Florida First Project received $1.5 million through Blavatnik's two holding companies. Other high dollar recipients of funding from Blavatnik were PACS representing Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker at $1.1 million, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham at $800,000, Ohio Governor John Kasich at $250,000 and Arizona Senator John McCain at $200,000.
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.
Right across the street huh? Well that's certainly handy.
The Dallas News also makes this rather astute point:
Blavatnik's relationships with Russian oligarchs close to Putin, particularly Oleg Deripaska, should be worrisome for Trump and the six GOP leaders who took Blavatnik's money during the 2016 presidential campaign. Lucky for them no one has noticed. Yet.
Well guess what? We've noticed.
I should point out that this is not definitive proof that Russian oligarchs directed Blavatnik to donate any of this money, but of course they probably did.
And there is no proof that the donations have impacted the way that certain Republicans react to the news of Russian interference in our elections, but of course it certainly might.
And finally on its own this would probably not even seem like such a big deal, but when you add it to the pile of what we already know about the 2016 elections, well then it certainly does.
As a child, I worried that the Klu Klux Klan would lynch my family and that Khrushchev would bomb my country. Now, as an adult, I am appalled that white supremacists and Russians are colluding to run & ruin the US government, terrorize POC, women, LGBTQ, and immigrants, reverse civil rights gains of these marginalized groups, poison/pollute the environment so water, soil, and air are lethally and permanently toxic, and ultimately bring about the complete and utter destruction of this great nation. The reThuglicans are bigoted, bought, and bossed. Heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteRemembering McCarthy and the 1950 - 1960 GOP reliance on the Cold War, much as George W. Bush relied on 9/11 to support his presidency - makes me really wonder at the sudden 21st century GOP's bromance with Putin and his fascist oligarch pals. Is it just that the GOP loves money, no matter where it comes from?
DeleteBeaglemom
Well-stated, Marguerite. Thank you. I agree.
Delete@Beaglemom,their god is money, and they daily sacrifice on its altar the common prosperity and welfare of our fellow citizens. As long as they can accumulate cash, nothing else is important, least of all, their loyalty to these United States. I bet they could put to shame the O'Jays singing "For the Love of Money." They have no scruples, no principles, no patriotism, just a desire for cold, hard cash and lots of it. GOP = Greedy Old Perverts
Delete@Anon6:45, you are welcome. I am happy to humbly share my opinions in this thoughtful community. And kudos & deepest appreciation to Gryphen for providing a safe place. It has been a much-needed respite for me, living as I do in a deeply red state. #Resist
Extermination is needed for these Russian rodents. Send them home. Keep the money.
DeleteThey whine? Don't deposit it in America then you idiot.
Nothing surprises me anymore with these traitors, next we will find out Melanomia is a russian operative sent by putin years ago to marry little fingers donnie.
ReplyDeleteDamn!! Former Mexican President Vincent Fox is riding Trumps ass.
ReplyDelete".@ RealDonaldTrump leaving on vacation, huh? What for? If you're not happy with your job, just leave. After all, it was never for you."
OMG! Laughing my ass off!
DeleteVicente Fox Quesada @VicenteFoxQue
·
Jul 31
Hey Trump, I'm watching this really bad reality TV show with low ratings called Survivor White House. I can't change the channel. Sad!
That one is priceless. Such a clever pointed comment.
DeleteI love Vicente Fox! Unlike tRump, he's a real man.
DeleteSurvivor White House, hilarious, I wish we could vote him off the island.
DeleteThanks you Vincent Fox for my laugh of the day!!!!!!
Additional Fox comment:
ReplyDeleteEarlier in the day, Fox also mocked Trump for claiming that he is responsible for a growing economy. Fox tweeted an article claiming former President Barack Obama is responsible, adding, "See that, @realDonaldTrump , you've achieved nothing. You brag the results of others."
Fox knows Trump very well.
DeleteSo nice he is in a position to zing him when the feelings move.
Most of those currently in office can't go that far, but Fox, being retire, can.
Trump Voter Learns That 'The Wall' Will Fence Her House Into Mexico
ReplyDeletehttp://crooksandliars.com/2017/08/trump-voter-learns-wall-will-fence-her
Rarely do I relish in someone else's misfortune, but when I hear that an uninformed Trump voter is upset because some despicable Trump promise will end up hurting them, I laugh.
For example, all the voters that supported him for his nativist immigration policies may not be too excited to hear that he wants to take away their health insurance. Or that they may have their undocumented immigrant family members deported.
Well, now stories are coming out about Trump supporters losing their land or homes to The Wall.
The Trump administration is waging war on diversity https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/8/4/16091406/raise-act-diversity-trump
To which I say, tough shit. You voted for the bastard. Karma, baby. Pack your bags and go live in a cardboard box under the overpass. Don't look to the government to pay you fair market value for your home either. It won't be fair and they'll probably just eminent domain your ass to avoid paying you squat.
DeleteThat's what you get for voting Republican.
Suck to be you.
For the life of me, I cannot understand how people can support this fool and his administration. There is no defending the indefensible.
ReplyDeleteThere really isn't, @Anon6:12! Loyalty to ones country should be low-hanging fruit for prospective politicians, yet these people who should be elder statesmen, have sold out for a bowl of pottage, for fleeting victory.
DeleteI guess once you've prostituted yourself to the Koch brothers, Adelson, the Mercers, the Waltons, Fossil Fuel overlords, Big Pharma, what are Russian mobsters and oligarchs? My respect right now for genuine sex workers knows no bounds. At least they're not screwing over the entire country.
I do not know how PAC's verify or if they care about the sources of donations. I googled one of the holding companies and the entries list him as the owner of the company.
ReplyDeleteI just had a stray thought. How much of their policies come from the Koch brothers and ALEC?. With this article, how much are the Koch brothers and ALEC getting from the head of the KGB? That makes their policies those of Russia.
ReplyDeleteMost. A big majority.
DeleteToo many.
I find it especially interesting that Mitch McConnell and John McCain both took their donations. Makes me sick to my stomach. I am so worried for our country and fellow Americans.
ReplyDeleteI bet the Koch brothers, all wrapped up in the American flag as they like to portray themselves, are just fine with the intrusion of Russian money into GOP politics. It's where their family first found wealth in the 1920's - working for Stalin's emerging oil industry. What goes around comes around.
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom
The Koch brothers are fine with Fascism as they are the 1% elite who will not be touched by it. They will profit from it.
DeleteThe problem is money. The people who have a great deal of it think all of us are jealous and want as much of it as they have. People who have huge amounts of it are sick in the head.
ReplyDeleteMost people are happy to not worry about food, a job, and affordable health care. They wish to get on with the things in life that make them happy, like family, friends and interests that make life interesting.
It is so disheartening to be at the mercy of those overly obsessed by money. Russians oligarchs are like the poor relation who has just come into money. They have no taste, poor impulse control and believe they are the top of the heap.
They will never have enough money. So they are obsessed with taking it away from everyone they can to amass more. It is never ending. The more they have, the more they want and think they need.
DeleteHow much money can you SPEND? Once you have a nice place to live, you can buy clothes and food and do some traveling. But how many cars can you drive? How many homes can you live in? How many pairs of shoes can you wear?
$90,000 a year is about the tipping point. Once you're beyond that, more money doesn't really buy you happiness.
Al Gore was on Bill Maher on Friday night.
ReplyDeleteAmong other things, he said we need to get big money and lobbyists out of politics.
No shit.