Report: Russian mob money helped build Trump business empire

[G_j]

https://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/report-russian-mob-money-helped-build-trump-business-empire-1002228291948

A stunning report in The New Republic alleges that, whether Donald Trump knew it or not, for decades he made a large portion of his personal fortune from Russian mobsters & oligarchs.

Jul.17.2017

[Achilleaze]

1. republican casino hustler Dirty Donny* knew alright

* aka republican Draft-Dodger-in-Chief

[empedocles]

2. ???

Where the hell did the 'whether Donald Trump knew or not' phrase come from?

[pangaia]

12. My thought as well.

I mean, there is a lot he doesn't know... but this ain't one of them.

[SallyHemmings]

3. He knows and doesn't care

[forgotmylogin]

19. $$$ are anesthetic to the Trumpletot's ethics reflex.

Wave money at him, he doesn't care about the details.

That's not a defense though!

[safeinOhio]

4. #1 reason his lawyers

recommend he not make his taxes public.

[anarch]

5. I thought this was reasonably common knowledge??

Was I wrong about that? I assumed the Republicans just didn't give a shit, since most of them are criminals themselves, or at least have taken money from shady sources....

[Cosmocat]

6. Yes, it was

common knowledge ...

Yes, rebublicans did not give a shit because they can't think past "liberals are the spawn of satan."

AND, the media had to act like they didn't know it was common knowledge, because, false equivilency (minimize the complete fuckwittery of republicans EITHER way - ingore the EVERYTHING about this POS while acting like Benghazi and Hillary's e-mail's were something other than deranged partisan lunacy).

[NCjack]

7. Ridiculous: "whether Donald Trump knew it or not"

[watoos]

11. Yip, the suggestion he didn't know is insulting

Who among us hasn't bought a house for 40 million dollars, never had anyone live in it then later sell it to an oligarch for 94 million dollars who decides to tear it down?

Rachel had an episode about the Trump tower in Baku, Azerbaijan. No one has ever moved into it, it was simply used to launder money some of which went to the Iranian military. Ivanka's name was on that project, daddy taught her well.

[EffieBlack]

8. Well, duh.

[madaboutharry]

9. "Whether he knew it or not..."

That is complete bullshit. Of course he knew. Trump has always been infatuated with mobsters. He views mobsters with some kind of weird romanticism. Trump's love of the mob goes way back to the early days when he associated with New York mobsters. Just ask anyone who was around in Atlantic City back in the 80's.

[DeminPennswoods]

10. The important point is Trump can be blackmailed

Russian money can only come from Russian oligarchs or Russian banks and both are controlled by Putin. Therefore Putin knows nearly everything about Trump's finances. He can destroy the Trump "great businessman" myth. He can pull the plug on loans any time. He can destroy the Trump Organization.

It's little wonder Trump goes out of his way to do Putin's bidding.

[Paladin]

13. Well, there's the least surprising report of the day.

In other breaking news, water is wet.

[Scurrilous]

14. K&R

[Stuart G]

15. K and R..nt

[BadgerMom]

16. Come on, people! Let's just stop with the incredulity!

And, for the love of god, no more “whether he knew or not.” Seriously, I can’t abide it. Of course, he knew. He dealt with the NY mob when he built his buildings. He dealt with the Russian mob when he ran his casinos into the ground. The unvarnished truth is that the media failed to report any of these connections in 2015 and 2016. The Republicans knew and decided to ride his corrupt coattails for money and power. I despise this faux innocent hand-wringing now. We knew. He knew. What tripe this attitude is.

[catbyte]

17. Why is that stunning to anyone? US banks & reputable European banks have refused to deal

with him for years. Where did they think he got his funding for all these properties? His salary from "The Apprentice?" The profits from Trump Steaks? Come on. Jeeez.

[onetexan]

18. old news - this came out during the election the thuggery this man was up in his

eyes was involved in and where his $ came from

[elmac]

20. and the reason he is hiding his taxes

this is known to many in the bankster sector, he has defaulted so much that no us bank will loan him money. The ruskies could crush him with a stroke of a pen, he will be their puppet until they completely destroy this country.

[Roy Rolling]

21. A Qualifier

The term "knew it to not" is to shut down the inevitable "he didn't know" excuse from Trump apologists. It adds nothing for people at DU who already accept Trump knew he's a money-launderer.

It's like the term "it goes without saying". Except the headline allegation covers both of only two possibilities. And they are saying it.

A legal technicality?

[elmac]

22. and the russian mob, aka putin, also has many in congress under their thumb,

a financial domination.