August 5, 2017

Russia investigation could uncover how much money Trump is still getting from Moscow

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/7/28/1685028/-Russia-investigation-could-uncover-how-much-money-Trump-is-still-getting-from-Moscow
"When thinking about Donald Trump’s monetary dealings with Russia, it’s easy to think of them as being part of his past. Sure, he sold a Florida home to an oligarch for $100 million—well over twice its value. And, when his business was essentially bankrupt for the seventh time and no bank would give him a loan, Trump collected enough money from Russian mobsters for his rich guy act to continue. But that was … when was that? Since Election Day, President Trump’s businesses have sold at least 30 luxury condos and oceanfront lots for about $33 million. That includes millions of dollars in properties to secretive shell companies, which can hide the identities of buyers or partners involved in the deals, a USA TODAY investigation has found. Shell corporations, like those set up by friend of a friend Irakly "Ike" Kaveladze, who was the eighth man at that infamous Trump Tower get together. Kaveladze was there to represent Russian real estate family the Agaralovs. Before he became part of their operation to lobby Trump over the Magnitsky Act, Kaveladze had another job. He helped create more than 2,000 shell companies—most of which went right back to Aras and Emin Agaralov. The use of shell companies by investors, added to the over 500 shell companies used by Donald Trump, can make the real actors behind real estate transactions hard for state and local officials to see without help. But they could be getting that help. Details of some of those deals and other transactions by Trump's family business could be unmasked as special counsel Robert Mueller expands his inquiry into election-meddling by Russia and whether Trump's campaign colluded. Which is why Trump is in a big, big hurry to stop Mueller."