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There are digital fingerprints stored on the Internet WaybackMachine that show that Renova Group once proudly touted Columbus Nova of one of ITS Companies …
Even though the Russia Oligarch’s operation tried to wipe its slate clean, with a perfunctory “under construction” message at its web address (http://www.renova.ru/) — the digital ‘after-image’ still remains:
https://web.archive.org/web/20171013135531/http://www.renova.ru:80/en/structure/company/
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This is important because:
1) The Viktor Vekselberg company money: [Michael] Avenatti says that between January and August 2017, Cohen was sent a total of about $500,000 over eight payments from Columbus Nova LLC, which is the US investment arm of Vekselberg’s company the Renova Group.
Vox — May 8, 2018
This is important because of Columbus Nova denial of any connection with the Russian Oligarch and owner of the Renova Group:
Said the firm’s statement, in part:
Columbus Nova is an investment management company solely owned and controlled by Americans. After the inauguration, the firm hired Michael Cohen as a business consultant regarding potential sources of capital and potential investments in real estate and other ventures. Reports today that Viktor Vekselberg used Columbus Nova as a conduit for payments to Michael Cohen are false. The claim that Viktor Vekselberg was involved in or provided any funding for Columbus Nova’s engagement of Michael Cohen is patently untrue. Neither Viktor Vekselberg nor anyone else other than Columbus Nova’s owners were involved in the decision to hire Cohen or provided funding for his engagement.
Several further reports indicate that Columbus Nova’s statement about its ownership, while it may be technically true, is quite misleading: [...]
Slate — May 10, 2018
The digital footprint is important, because CEO of Columbus Nova, Andrew Intrater is:
Vekselberg's 'Cousin'
The same SEC filing identifies [Andrew] Intrater, a U.S. citizen, as Vekselberg's "cousin." As recently as May 9, the Columbus Nova website identified Intrater as "a former director and current member of the executive board of Renova Group." His bio was not available on the website later in the day, but an archived version of the page remains accessible.
As recently as 2014, [Andrew] Intrater also served on the supervisory board of Akado Group, a Moscow-based telecommunications company owned by Renova. Intrater did not respond to an e-mailed request for an interview concerning Columbus Nova's business dealings with Cohen.
Radio Free Europe — May 10, 2018
The fact the the Trump Team can be financially linked to the Russian Oligarch Vekselberg, through his company the Renova Group, is important because its not like the Putin Protege couldn’t afford the $500,000 “investment” in US politics …
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Mr. [Andrew] Intrater is the chief executive of Columbus Nova, an investment management firm whose biggest client is the Renova Group, Mr. Vekselberg’s sprawling conglomerate that operates in the energy sector and elsewhere.
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Mr. Vekselberg is among the select Russian oligarchs who made their fortunes in the early post-Soviet period and managed to retain wealth under Mr. Putin while others went to prison or into exile.
NY Times — May 4, 2018
Afterall it not like Michael Cohen had never been to Prague, and had never “reportedly” had a meeting with Russians, as a Trump Team representative, with a “secret agenda” concerning such “funding issues” as these:
According the agenda comprised questions on how deniable cash payments were to be made to hackers who had worked in Europe under Kremlin direction against the CLINTON campaign and various contingencies for covering up these operations and Moscow's secret liaison with the TRUMP team more generally.
Steele Dossier — page 34
“Say Michael, what did you say was the PO Box for your LLC again? ‘Essential Conduits’ or something?”
“We may have a way of ‘conduiting’ some Contingency funds your way … you can keep things on the down-low, Net?”
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