If you want to get to the bottom of nefarious activity — the quickest way to foil the plots of the bad guys is to “Follow their Money”. Same as it ever was.
● Trump’s real estate empire relies, though we don’t know how much, on Russian money. Trump says he never invested in Russia or got loans from Russia. But he did get investment from Russia. In 2008, his son said that Russian investment was “pouring in” to Trump properties. Even before that, Trump had a whole series of partners and investors linked to post-Soviet oligarchs and even Russian organized crime. Has Trump concealed his tax returns for this reason?
— by Anne Applebaum, columnist, Washington Post -- January 13, 2017
Enough of the BS about being “Under Audit”! Even the IRS has said Trump is free to open up his finances to the world, Tax Audit or not. If you follow the 1st link above, you’ll get the “insider view” on why “the Donalds” might want to keep their dealings under-wraps … Russia is where the $$$ is ...
Executive Talk: Donald Trump Jr. bullish on Russia and few emerging markets
by Hazel Heyer, Special to eTN, eturbonews.com — Sep 15, 2008
The executive vice president of Development and Acquisitions for the Trump Organization, Donald Trump Jr., is the eldest child and son of famed real estate developer Donald Trump and his first wife Ivana Trump. He currently works with his siblings in buying, selling and franchising prime commercial real estate including hotel towers spanning the entire globe, from the US to Dubai.
[...]
For Trump, Russia is the emerging market worth investing in currently, however in caveat into the high-end sector he counts on his international experience in the market. Trump said: “The emerging world in general attributes such brand premium to real estate that we are looking all over the place, primarily Russia. There are countries that have not been fully tapped by us such as Thailand, Vietnam and Argentina. We are currently looking at potential deals. Our interest is really everywhere because there is a lot of new money in the emerging markets which appeal to certain brands whether ego-driven or having the life-jacket effect that we feel gives added-value to our investment.” According to him, he has been to basically all the emerging markets in the last six months or this summer searching for good deals.
If he were to choose his top A-list for investments in the emerging world, Trump said his firm would choose China and Russia. “Given what I’ve seen in Russia’s real estate market as of late relative to some of the emerging markets, the country seems to have a lot more natural strength, especially in the high-end sector where people focus on price per square-meter,” he said.
[...]
However, to a certain degree, some US investors have had concerns over Russia. “Well, that’s happening, too. After spending half a dozen trips to Russia in the last 18 months, several buyers have been attracted to our projects there and everything associated therewith. But it is definitely not an issue of being able to find a deal – but an issue of ‘Will I ever see my money back out of that deal or can I actually trust the person I am doing the deal with?' As much as we want to take our business over there, Russia is just a different world. Though the legal structure is in place for what we have today, and even 99 percent is covered, that 1 percent not covered could be 100 percent covered over there because it is a question of who knows who, whose brother is paying off who, etc.,” Trump said, adding, “It really is a scary place.”
Despite a current government that projects a ramrod posture, to Trump the current leaders even make the scene more scary. Holding back his grin, he said, “It’s so transparent – everything’s so interconnected that it really does not matter what is supposed to happen as what it is they want to happen is ultimately what happens.” [...]
Just imagine the “bargaining leverage” the Junior now has in those ‘square-meter’ investments deals, now that the Senior, is in a position to sanction (or un-sanction) ‘emerging’ Nations onto the world markets, at the stroke a pen.
I knew there was a reason that The Senior has surrounded himself with a virtual Roll-call of Russian insiders and devotees — because that’s where “their investment” is … (“to better fight ISIL with Russia’s help,” is just the cover story they tell the rubes).
From the intro WashingtonPost article, a closing (and chilling) observation:
● Finally, and most important: Trump is willing to risk serious conflict with China, to destroy U.S. relations with Mexico, to dismiss America’s closest allies in Europe and to downgrade NATO, our most important military alliance. But he has repeated many times his admiration for Russia and its president. In 2013 he told MSNBC, “I do have a relationship” with Putin, who is “probably very interested in what you and I are saying today” and will “be seeing it in some form.” In 2014 he bragged that Putin had sent him a “beautiful present” and claimed — apparently untruthfully — to have spoken to him as well. Nothing that Putin has done since — invade Ukraine, murder journalists, jail opponents — has induced Trump to change his mind.
Afterall, in the Trumpian worldview, “We have a lot of killers. Well, you think our country is so innocent?” Hold on to your hats people, there’s a new Sheriff in town, and he’s out for bear!
...
If you want to expose the inner workings of nefarious activity, and expose the inner workings of power hungry, swamp-tapping Billionaires — then “Follow their Money”. Same as it ever was.
Sunlight is the best disinfectant — even if that sunlight ... is more blinding, than trust-worthy.