Secret Finding: 60 Russian Payments "To Finance Election Campaign Of 2016"

[DonViejo]

Source: BuzzFeed News




The FBI is scrutinizing more than 60 money transfers sent by the Russian foreign ministry to its embassies across the globe, most of them bearing a note that said the money was to be used “to finance election campaign of 2016.”

Posted on November 14, 2017, at 1:09 p.m.

By Jason Leopold (BuzzFeed News Reporter) Anthony Cormier (BuzzFeed News Reporter) Jessica Garrison (BuzzFeed News Reporter)

On Aug. 3 of last year, just as the US presidential election was entering its final, heated phase, the Russian foreign ministry sent nearly $30,000 to its embassy in Washington. The wire transfer, which came from a Kremlin-backed Russian bank, landed in one of the embassy’s Citibank accounts and contained a remarkable memo line: “to finance election campaign of 2016.”

That wire transfer is one of more than 60 now being scrutinized by the FBI and other federal agencies investigating Russian involvement in the US election. The transactions, which moved through Citibank accounts and totaled more than $380,000, each came from the Russian foreign ministry and most contained a memo line referencing the financing of the 2016 election.

The money wound up at Russian embassies in almost 60 countries from Afghanistan to Nigeria between Aug. 3 and Sept. 20, 2016. It is not clear how the funds were used. At least one transaction that came into the US originated with VTB Bank, a financial institution that is majority-owned by the Kremlin.

The US Treasury Department placed VTB Bank under sanctions in 2014, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The sanctions prohibit VTB Bank from raising capital or accepting loans from American individuals or companies. A wire transfer to the embassy’s US bank account is permitted, however, and Citibank has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Read more: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jasonleopold/secret-finding-60-russian-payments-to-finance-election?utm_term=.dgZkWW2d5#.ngAwzzx1y

[Botany]

1. But what about Hillary's emails?

n/t

[Stuart G]

2. Yes, i was going to say that....Those emails are far more

important then Russia helping to finance Trump's election. A foreign country trying to influence the outcome of an election (it seems that it did)..far less important than Hillary's emails..oh...

[Botany]

5. But did you know that Hillary's email account had a SERVER too?

But all those hacked emails and millions of dollars wouldn't have done a thing unless
the Russians had friends in America to "help out." Say like holding non stop hearings
into nothing or having a Cambridge Analytica computer in Trump's HQ so they knew
where to suppress/flip the vote with help from Russia and others.

[emulatorloo]

9. Except Comey said no evidence HRC's server while at state was hacked.

DNC server another matter, but yeah Trump tried to pretend the two were the same.

Of course all sorts of attempts from TrumpCo to get "missing emails" from HRC's state server from Russians, doesn't sound like Russia had any though

[Botany]

11. The HRC's email account having a server was B.S. from the get go ....

... all email accounts have servers.

[emulatorloo]

12. Yep

[onethatcares]

3. and Bill's

straying? Or

Benghazi????????

[groundloop]

4. Is it just me or does it feel like the Kremlin intended for those transfers to be found?

No way is Putin THAT naive.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. Yes this sounds fishy

like honeypot fishy. But it might have been done to set up a false trail leading away from the real, more covert one like the old school "diplomatic pouch" of money.

[meow2u3]

6. What about the Uranium One deal Hillary brokered?

[PuffedMica]

7. Sounds like this FBI "find" is to provide cover for Trump

The Republicans will be claiming "See! the Russians were doing it to EVERYBODY"

[emulatorloo]

10. Interesting take.

Thanks for posting

[TomVilmer]

13. More likely for the Russian Election Campaign Of 2016

Since the "money wound up at Russian embassies in almost 60 countries from Afghanistan to Nigeria between Aug. 3 and Sept. 20, 2016", and Russia held its State Duma elections on Sept 18, 2016. Not all Russia does is foreign election meddling - they also need time and money for meddling their own elections, and a couple of millions Russians votes abroad.