http://www.the-american-interest.com/2016/12/19/the-curious-world-of-donald-trumps-private-russian-connections/

From Mike Anthony

James Henry ran for Southampton Town Supervisor many years ago.

He was a brilliant guy. A Harvard trained lawyer and economist, his expertise is in understanding shady banking and he has written a lot on offshore banking, money laundering and other nefarious financial crimes. He has a book out about that stuff. Who better to find Trumpian connections to the Russian Kleptocracy?

In a publication “The American Interest,” with an introduction by former NYT financial reporter, David Cay Johnston, Jim provides 4 case studies detailing the background and activities of unsavory Russian kleptocrats, the common denominator being that they have had business dealings with Trump – mostly failed real estate adventures in Toronto, NYC, and Fort Lauderdale, but overseas stuff, too.

Jim says he used 6 sources, including the Panama Papers which named names of phony shell companies and exposed money laundering schemes.

Here Jim shows that Donald Trump’s associations with the underside of Russia goes back a couple of decades.

From David Posnett

I have always wondered about 2 things.

a) How can a busioness person have 6 ventures that go bankrupt and still walk a way with lots of money? And why has Trump refused to release his tax returns?

b) Why Trump’s peculiar fascination with Russia.

James Henry provides an extensive and well researched article “The Curious World of Donald Trump’s Private Russian Connections“ with some likley answers.  It goes back to the 1990s when Soviet state owned businesses were being privatized with the US applauding and helping in the process.  Chosen oligarchs with connections bought these businesses for cents on the dollar and reaped huge profits.  They needed to invest that money and Trump was one of the beneficiaries.  What exactly he might have promised in return is unclear.  Henry’s article is a must read for everyone!