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U.S. Politicians Can't Stop Taking Len Blavatnik's Money
[Bellingcat] Last month, leading anti-kleptocracy voices in the U.S., Ukraine, Russia, and elsewhere sounded the alarm about a massive donation that Len Blavatnik, a Soviet-born businessman with close ties to sanctioned Russian figures, made to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Blavatnik’s donation was, as one expert said, a clear instance of the “soft enabling of kleptocracy,” and fit firmly in Blavatnik’s history of using his funds for “image launder[ing].”As new documents show, Blavatnik’s financial offer to CFR wasn’t the only substantial donation he’s made recently. According to new filings with the Federal Election Commission, Blavatnik — who is estimated to be worth approximately $19 billion, and who has U.S. citizenship — has been offering record-breaking donations to American politicians and political committees on both sides of the aisle. Thus far, it appears that Democrats and Republicans alike are willing to take his money, despite major concerns from those who’ve followed Blavatnik’s career and/or those who work in the sphere of anti-kleptocracy. Related: Council on Foreign Relations: 2019-10-05 FLASHBACK, 2018: Joe Biden Brags At CFR Meeting About Withholding Aid To Ukraine To Force Firing Of Prosecutor Council on Foreign Relations: 2019-09-25 Pakistan’s ISI Trained Al-Qaida: Imran Khan Council on Foreign Relations: 2019-09-14 Poll: In a Russia-US conflict, overwhelming number of Europeans favor neutrality over America, with 5-9% openly siding with Russia Posted by: Skidmark 2019-11-11 |
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