Conservative think tank donor revealed as Russian oligarch

[sandensea]

Chaos has erupted at a conservative think tank after it was revealed that one of its new donors is Len Blavatnik, the Ukrainian-born billionaire who owns the Warner Music record label.

Charles Davidson — the founder of the Hudson Institute’s Kleptocracy Initiative, a group dedicated to exposing threats by authoritarian regimes to U.S. democracy — said he quit as its executive director upon learning that the Hudson Institute had accepted a $50,000 donation from Blavatnik.

“Russian kleptocracy has entered the donor pool of Hudson Institute,” Davidson said in an exclusive interview with The Post.

“Blavatnik is precisely what the Kleptocracy Initiative is fighting against — the influence of Putin’s oligarchs on America’s political system and society — and the importation of corrupt Russian business practices and values.”

At: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/5/1817188/-Conservative-Think-Tank-Donor-Revealed-as-Russian-Oligarch

Warner Music's Len Blavatnik: Playing Putin's tune.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. Owns Warner? Seize it from him, fuck him. Do it today.

[Wellstone ruled]

2. Finally

we see the truth about this so called Hudson Institute. Felt for some time it was a Cover for Right Wing causes.

[lagomorph777]

3. Dayum. Putin's bloody fingers in every right-wing organization in the land.

First the NRA, now this? Where else?

[ffr]

4. Shocked. SHOCKED, I tell you!

There are Russian assets at every level in tRump's administration. You can't tell where Putin ends and the GOP begins.

[pecosbob]

5. 'the importation of corrupt Russian business practices and values'

I wonder if there's anything left to teach Americans about corruption...they seem to have it down pat.

Chain the one-percenters and their corporations up like the wild dogs they are...the only winning move is not to play the game.

[Pepsidog]

6. Reagan is turning in his grave. The Evil Empire has purchased the party of family values and fiscal

conservatives.

[calimary]

8. I doubt it. He and his "get the guvmnt off yer back" crap

rolling back protections and ownership limits and other rules ‘n’ regs laud the groundwork for what is now happening. Reagan IS The Beast - that begat ALL of the scandal and scum that’s plaguing our country.

But he sure could talk a good game... a real salesman. CON artist of the first order. AND a TV pitchman too! Gee - remind you of anyone?

[saidsimplesimon]

7. Looks like Vlad has his tentacles

in every oligarch's orifice.