Trump has repeatedly been questioned about his involvement with Russia, and his biggest fan (Vladimir Putin), but repeatedly denies that he even has any ties to Russia. Yes, it is true that Trump does not have any businesses within Russia. However, he does have a direct link to Russia.
“The Trump-Russia links beneath the surface are even more extensive, Trump has sought and received funding from Russian investors for his business ventures, especially after most American banks stopped lending to him following his multiple bankruptcies,” wrote Max Boot for the Los Angeles Times.
Boot also reported that three of Trump’s most trusted advisors have ties to Russian investors. They have denied this and claimed this has only come to light due to the media’s “agenda.” Perhaps the most troubling evidence of Trump’s Russian involvement is Trump Soho, about which Time Magazine reports, “Trump SoHo (was) a complicated web of financial intrigue that has played out in court. A lawsuit claimed that the business group, Bayrock, underpinning Trump SoHo was supported by criminal Russian financial interests. While its initial claim absolved Trump of knowledge of those activities, Trump himself later took on the group’s principal partner as a senior advisor in the Trump organization.”
Bayrock, a real estate developing company, was said to take part in money laundering and tax evasion were the core of Bayrock while handling Trump’s new condominium complex (Trump SoHo.) The Managing Director of the Bayrock group, Felix Sater, is Russian born and was said to have partaken in these activities to support Russian criminal interests. Trump claimed to know nothing about this, although he does have one of Bayrock’s partners working under him. Bayrock has put together some of Trump’s largest deals. The lawsuit states that although Trump SoHo was going to add a lot of tax revenue to the city, almost half of its profit was fixed to evade taxes. Per The New York Times, “(A Bayrock official) brokered a $50 million investment in Trump SoHo and three other Bayrock projects by an Icelandic firm preferred by wealthy Russians ‘in favor with’ President Vladimir V. Putin.”
If the preceding evidence does not prove that Trump has any ties to Russia, this may: Trump has mentioned his meetings with Russian Oligarchs (in Moscow) several times. Prompted by the recent reveal of the DNC hack allegedly masterminded by Russia, Trump said, “What do I have to do with the Russians? You know the closest I came to Russia, I bought a house in Palm Beach for $40 million and sold it to someone from Russia for $100 million, including brokerage fees.”
