Interesting Article about Trump and the Russian Mafia

But even without an investigation by Congress or a special prosecutor, there is much we already know about the president’s debt to Russia. A review of the public record reveals a clear and disturbing pattern: Trump owes much of his business success, and by extension his presidency, to a flow of highly suspicious money from Russia. Over the past three decades, at least 13 people with known or alleged links to Russian mobsters or oligarchs have owned, lived in, and even run criminal activities out of Trump Tower and other Trump properties. Many used his apartments and casinos to launder untold millions in dirty money. Some ran a worldwide high-stakes gambling ring out of Trump Tower—in a unit directly below one owned by Trump. Others provided Trump with lucrative branding deals that required no investment on his part. Taken together, the flow of money from Russia provided Trump with a crucial infusion of financing that helped rescue his empire from ruin, burnish his image, and launch his career in television and politics. “They saved his bacon,” says Kenneth McCallion, a former assistant U.S. attorney in the Reagan administration who investigated ties between organized crime and Trump’s developments in the 1980s.

It’s entirely possible that Trump was never more than a convenient patsy for Russian oligarchs and mobsters, with his casinos and condos providing easy pass-throughs for their illicit riches. At the very least, with his constant need for new infusions of cash and his well-documented troubles with creditors, Trump made an easy “mark” for anyone looking to launder money. But whatever his knowledge about the source of his wealth, the public record makes clear that Trump built his business empire in no small part with a lot of dirty money from a lot of dirty Russians—including the dirtiest and most feared of them all.

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Luckyone said:

Interesting but true story about Trump and the Russian Mafia.

It certainly opens the door for 2 possibilities mentioned below:

1) Trump was a patsy for the Russian mafia
2) Trump was knowingly involved.

Either way, it is big negative for Trump.

Click to expand...

Luckyone said:

Interesting but true story about Trump and the Russian Mafia.

It certainly opens the door for 2 possibilities mentioned below:

1) Trump was a patsy for the Russian mafia
2) Trump was knowingly involved.

Either way, it is big negative for Trump.

Click to expand...

RealityNow said:

Why some people refuse to believe the points and factors that are overtly evident.... from the continual hiding of taxes to the praise of Putin on multiple occasions on the global stages. The meeting with Russians in the White House voiding out American representatives, and telling the Russian's he got rid of Comey.. to his private meeting with Putin where he did not allow any American's to be present.
The long history of boasting of Russian's and Saudi's who purchase property from him. Then there's the "Loans"..... the list is far longer than any blog or forum post can outline and goes back years.

In all of it, The American People, continue to Pay a high cost from social and civic disruption, to the destruction of the Diplomatic Corp to the damages done to International Allies, Denigration of our Agencies who have responsibility to investigate, up to and including the obstruction of the Congressional House, to perform its mandated oversights.
We see the Trillion dollar deficit to the Trillion+ tax give away to the wealthy.... and damages to Trade.... which has caused havoc in the farming community and many other related industries and businesses. We see 100% Gridlock in Congress, with the Right Wing engaging every type of deflection and diversion and avoidance to abusing the long standing rules, processes and procedures of our governmental systems functioning process. We've watched 2 yrs of Musical Chair, with one type of criminal or another cycling through the seats of the cabinet position. To a system as close to what is a Dictator with non appointed people filling cabinet positions, who are like lap dogs who pander to the disruptive dictations of Trump.

We as a nation will have no choice but to "change the system of Presidential Powers" to avoid this from ever happening again in this nation. We will get back to the origin's of "Advise and Consent", as a firm control mechanism to curtail the abuse of the powers of the office. Trump has proven that America can't afford to rely on the "integrity that was to be inferred"... because of malice and madness by one that may ascend to the office. Never again, will America be of the will to allow such "gross abusive mis interpertations of one who is void of integrity, and driven by meglomaniac madness to be allowed to make such a mockery and abuse of the Office of the Presidency.

We've been embarrass and damaged in ways that it may take decades to repair, especially as it relates to the International Community to trust in America as a Leader again.

We've seen and its exposed to the world, how segments of Americans support this madness, and how a mass of lesser educated people, push bias and bigotry and promote divisiveness within. Which is a signal to the world, to be even less respecting of Americans, and certainly not to regard Americans with the high esteem nations once regarded this nation and its people. Already after the mis guided and malice driven wars, to the crashed economy and now the madness of Trump and Republicans, America may never regain the praise and esteem it once held by the communities of the world. The inhumane additives toward the Mexican and Central American people, to the calling of nations of people, as being "shet hole countries" and the promotion of white nationalist agenda and the ideals of such vile.... has forever tarnished America.

This includes as Bernie Sander's said, the pandering to the racist acts of the Jewish in Israel and their racist treatment of the Palestinians, and the continued support of the mass encroachments being continually done by Israel in the land grabs in the region. All of the Global Community is watching and they are not pleased with it.

People will come to learn, the Russian Mafia and the Putin Regime is not the only groups and foreign nations who engage corruption, of which the same.... have influential control and in some respects, ownership of Trump.

Time continues to reveal it all, and who will suffer is the general American population and the integrity this nation once had in the world's eyes.

Click to expand...

Helix said:

As for this story, I'll believe it when it's well documented. I've suspected for a while that Tweety's secret is Russian money laundering through real estate, but that's just a theory.

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GDViking said:

Unfortunately we have people in this country that have become so partisan they would rather have a Russian asset or even Putin himself as our president than a Democrat.

We live in very sad times...

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Mycroft said:

When an article makes suspect contentions or implications that are just plain wrong, it tends to make me wonder what else the article got wrong.

For example, the quote from the article you provide, Luckyone, contains this:

"Others provided Trump with lucrative branding deals that required no investment on his part."

This is presented as if it's a bad thing. Why? Because Trump didn't put up any cash in the branding deal? Trump doesn't need to put up any cash. His "investment" is his name. That is what the branding deal is all about. Someone wants to make money by using Trump's name and they pay Trump to be able to do it. Again, Trump is investing his name...and getting a return on his investment. There is nothing wrong about this sort of deal...certainly nothing illegal about it.

So...the article presents something in a way that implies that Trump is doing something that he shouldn't be doing...making a branding deal without investing anything on his part. This is a dishonest tactic on the part of the writer of the article. So again, the question arises...what else is the writer being dishonest about?

Personally...I don't care enough about this to spend much time and effort trying to find out, but I suggest anyone who is inclined to believe the nonsense in this article to think carefully about the contentions and implication made by the writer. I don't trust the writer and neither should you.

Click to expand...

Mycroft said:

When an article makes suspect contentions or implications that are just plain wrong, it tends to make me wonder what else the article got wrong.

For example, the quote from the article you provide, Luckyone, contains this:

"Others provided Trump with lucrative branding deals that required no investment on his part."

This is presented as if it's a bad thing. Why? Because Trump didn't put up any cash in the branding deal? Trump doesn't need to put up any cash. His "investment" is his name. That is what the branding deal is all about. Someone wants to make money by using Trump's name and they pay Trump to be able to do it. Again, Trump is investing his name...and getting a return on his investment. There is nothing wrong about this sort of deal...certainly nothing illegal about it.

So...the article presents something in a way that implies that Trump is doing something that he shouldn't be doing...making a branding deal without investing anything on his part. This is a dishonest tactic on the part of the writer of the article. So again, the question arises...what else is the writer being dishonest about?

Personally...I don't care enough about this to spend much time and effort trying to find out, but I suggest anyone who is inclined to believe the nonsense in this article to think carefully about the contentions and implication made by the writer. I don't trust the writer and neither should you.

Click to expand...

Mycroft said:

When an article makes suspect contentions or implications that are just plain wrong, it tends to make me wonder what else the article got wrong.

For example, the quote from the article you provide, Luckyone, contains this:

"Others provided Trump with lucrative branding deals that required no investment on his part."

This is presented as if it's a bad thing. Why? Because Trump didn't put up any cash in the branding deal? Trump doesn't need to put up any cash. His "investment" is his name. That is what the branding deal is all about. Someone wants to make money by using Trump's name and they pay Trump to be able to do it. Again, Trump is investing his name...and getting a return on his investment. There is nothing wrong about this sort of deal...certainly nothing illegal about it.

So...the article presents something in a way that implies that Trump is doing something that he shouldn't be doing...making a branding deal without investing anything on his part. This is a dishonest tactic on the part of the writer of the article. So again, the question arises...what else is the writer being dishonest about?

Personally...I don't care enough about this to spend much time and effort trying to find out, but I suggest anyone who is inclined to believe the nonsense in this article to think carefully about the contentions and implication made by the writer. I don't trust the writer and neither should you.

Click to expand...

RealityNow said:

Why some people refuse to believe the points and factors that are overtly evident.... from the continual hiding of taxes to the praise of Putin on multiple occasions on the global stages. The meeting with Russians in the White House voiding out American representatives, and telling the Russian's he got rid of Comey.. to his private meeting with Putin where he did not allow any American's to be present.
The long history of boasting of Russian's and Saudi's who purchase property from him. Then there's the "Loans"..... the list is far longer than any blog or forum post can outline and goes back years.

In all of it, The American People, continue to Pay a high cost from social and civic disruption, to the destruction of the Diplomatic Corp to the damages done to International Allies, Denigration of our Agencies who have responsibility to investigate, up to and including the obstruction of the Congressional House, to perform its mandated oversights.
We see the Trillion dollar deficit to the Trillion+ tax give away to the wealthy.... and damages to Trade.... which has caused havoc in the farming community and many other related industries and businesses. We see 100% Gridlock in Congress, with the Right Wing engaging every type of deflection and diversion and avoidance to abusing the long standing rules, processes and procedures of our governmental systems functioning process. We've watched 2 yrs of Musical Chair, with one type of criminal or another cycling through the seats of the cabinet position. To a system as close to what is a Dictator with non appointed people filling cabinet positions, who are like lap dogs who pander to the disruptive dictations of Trump.

We as a nation will have no choice but to "change the system of Presidential Powers" to avoid this from ever happening again in this nation. We will get back to the origin's of "Advise and Consent", as a firm control mechanism to curtail the abuse of the powers of the office. Trump has proven that America can't afford to rely on the "integrity that was to be inferred"... because of malice and madness by one that may ascend to the office. Never again, will America be of the will to allow such "gross abusive mis interpertations of one who is void of integrity, and driven by meglomaniac madness to be allowed to make such a mockery and abuse of the Office of the Presidency.

We've been embarrass and damaged in ways that it may take decades to repair, especially as it relates to the International Community to trust in America as a Leader again.

We've seen and its exposed to the world, how segments of Americans support this madness, and how a mass of lesser educated people, push bias and bigotry and promote divisiveness within. Which is a signal to the world, to be even less respecting of Americans, and certainly not to regard Americans with the high esteem nations once regarded this nation and its people. Already after the mis guided and malice driven wars, to the crashed economy and now the madness of Trump and Republicans, America may never regain the praise and esteem it once held by the communities of the world. The inhumane additives toward the Mexican and Central American people, to the calling of nations of people, as being "shet hole countries" and the promotion of white nationalist agenda and the ideals of such vile.... has forever tarnished America.

This includes as Bernie Sander's said, the pandering to the racist acts of the Jewish in Israel and their racist treatment of the Palestinians, and the continued support of the mass encroachments being continually done by Israel in the land grabs in the region. All of the Global Community is watching and they are not pleased with it.

People will come to learn, the Russian Mafia and the Putin Regime is not the only groups and foreign nations who engage corruption, of which the same.... have influential control and in some respects, ownership of Trump.

Time continues to reveal it all, and who will suffer is the general American population and the integrity this nation once had in the world's eyes.

Click to expand...

GDViking said:

If you don't trust that only solidifies his credibility...

Click to expand...

ocean515 said:

I continuously wonder how people can view these obscenely biased opinion pieces from extreme left outfits like New Republic, and think they are being presented objective facts.

Click to expand...

Helix said:

As for this story, I'll believe it when it's well documented. I've suspected for a while that Tweety's secret is Russian money laundering through real estate, but that's just a theory.

Click to expand...

Mycroft said:

When an article makes suspect contentions or implications that are just plain wrong, it tends to make me wonder what else the article got wrong.

For example, the quote from the article you provide, Luckyone, contains this:

"Others provided Trump with lucrative branding deals that required no investment on his part."

This is presented as if it's a bad thing. Why? Because Trump didn't put up any cash in the branding deal? Trump doesn't need to put up any cash. His "investment" is his name. That is what the branding deal is all about. Someone wants to make money by using Trump's name and they pay Trump to be able to do it. Again, Trump is investing his name...and getting a return on his investment. There is nothing wrong about this sort of deal...certainly nothing illegal about it.

So...the article presents something in a way that implies that Trump is doing something that he shouldn't be doing...making a branding deal without investing anything on his part. This is a dishonest tactic on the part of the writer of the article. So again, the question arises...what else is the writer being dishonest about?

Personally...I don't care enough about this to spend much time and effort trying to find out, but I suggest anyone who is inclined to believe the nonsense in this article to think carefully about the contentions and implication made by the writer. I don't trust the writer and neither should you.

Click to expand...

RealityNow said:

People don't get it, the escalating deficit and debt, and the fact we are operating at 105% debt to GDP and carrying $22 Trillion in Debt... is already being viewed by the world as indicators that America is in a bind of a way, where such facts prove we don't have the industrial capacity to dig out way out... This means... "higher cost to borrow capital" and a "downgrade in the U.S. Bond ratings... which translates into inflation, and higher national interest rates on "everything"... It also means the American currency does not hold the swagger it once had as a reserve currency. We don't have the industry we had after World War II, which helped Lower the Debt to GDP, which escalated during World War II. We once had a system where industry paid taxes, now they hide their money in "off-shore" accounts. I was not a big fan of Bernie, but I do hear his message that he aims to curtail the system of "hiding money in offshore accounts" and to repeal the massive tax give away to the wealthy. He acknowledge the devastation of industry, currently "not paying their fair share of taxes"... and he understand the Green New Deal, that has a plan and outline for "building for the future" and how to make education available to young adults. None of these things concern the Republicans or Trump. His constituency is still lost in the delusion that old-style industry is returning, when it does not operate by old styles, and the Supply Chain of the world IS NOT in America. Even our Seafood and Vegetables come from foreign location, as does all our home appliances and clothing just to name a few things. The biggest business to date in America is "Advertising"... and that Advertisements sell "foreign imported goods".

Those who don't think and spin in right wing partisan drama antics, will be rudely awakened... because it is certain as many indicators and researches have already stated, a "massive crash is coming to America". Yet, people put their faith in a "two bit Money obsessed hustler"....who has no concept of anything beyond his avarice driven mind that is consumed with his personal wealth.

He is a peon among those who hold true wealth... and people are blinded by belligerent pomp and egomania... as if they are still living with the "high" based on the same type of "bully stomping belligerence" that was all too common as the go to method, during the era of segregation and that same period of the same race based mentality that had the same segregationist concepts about nations that were and are of non white people.

Truth is an amazing thing, it can stand before some, and they deny it as it covers them like one drenched in a fluid....

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ocean515 said:

I continuously wonder how people can view these obscenely biased opinion pieces from extreme left outfits like New Republic, and think they are being presented objective facts.

Click to expand...

ocean515 said:

Nice try, but Bernie is never going to be elected President of the United States. However, I really do hope he becomes the left's nominee for the General in 2020. It will be fun to watch.

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j brown's body said:

It highlights his financial dependency on Russian oligarchs.

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j brown's body said:

Is Foreign Policy an "extreme left outfit?"

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Luckyone said:

Interesting but true story about Trump and the Russian Mafia.

It certainly opens the door for 2 possibilities mentioned below:

1) Trump was a patsy for the Russian mafia
2) Trump was knowingly involved.

Either way, it is big negative for Trump.

Click to expand...