House of Trump, House of Putin2
Page 42
back channel between Trump and Putin, 235–44
childhood, 67
alleged corrupt activities, 67, 77–78, 98–101, 175, 178–80, 188–89, 196, 200
and the demise of the Soviet Union, 16, 170
as deputy to Anatoly Sobchak, 72–73
described, 69–70, 71–72, 97, 105–06
and Donald Trump, 208–09, 211, 225–27, 229–30, 253
and Hillary Clinton, 219–20
judo and sambo practice, 67–69, 76
media control and censorship, 173–75, 193–94, 222–23
Ozero dacha cooperative similar to Trump Tower, 77, 242
political positioning as a fighter of corruption, 96–97
polonium poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, 178–79, 213
as president, 103–04, 169
as prime minister, 102–03
relationships with Jews, 115–17, 160
relationship with Leonid Usvyatsov, 68–69, 75
relationship with Semion Mogilevich, 81–82, 106–07, 175–76, 179, 196
rise to power, 73–79, 95–99
and the Russian Mafia, 18–19
as a spy in the KGB, 46n, 67, 69–73, 105
Steele Dossier on getting US intelligence from Trump, 166–68, 213, 243–44
2017 visit to Ukraine, 5
“virtual” war on the West, 2, 17–18, 191–96, 221, 222, 231, 252–53 and Vladislav Surkov, 191–95
Putin’s Kleptocracy (Dawisha), 18–19
Putin’s Russia: Life in a Failing Democracy (Politkovskaya), 173–74
Puzyretsky, Emile, 33
Rabinovich, Vadim, 90, 93, 276
Reagan, Ronald, 13, 36, 45, 235
real estate
cancellation or non-completion of Trump-licensed projects, 148
“Little Moscow” area of Sunny Isles Beach, FL, 126, 142
Russian hotel development by Trump, 94–95, 206–07, 209–11, 229
scandals regarding Fred Trump’s projects, 20–22
Trump-branded properties worldwide, 14, 95, 125–26, 138–39, 142, 211
Trump SoHo sales to shell companies, 157
Trump Tower sales to criminals, 15, 223–24
Trump Tower sales to shell companies, 12–14, 26
Trump World Tower sales to criminals, 123–24
as a vehicle for money laundering, 3, 12–14, 122–23, 125, 126n, 147, 210–11, 223–24
Red Daisy, Operation, 6–10, 8, 34–35, 82, 132
Red Mafiya (Friedman), 30–31, 33
Reform Party, 105, 121
REK (Rossiiskii Evreiskii Kongress), 115–16
Remnick, David, 40
Renova Group, 216–17
Republican Party, Trump’s differences with the, 248–49, 253
Reuben, David, 144
Reuben, Simon, 144
Rezin, Vladimir, 94, 276
Ribacoff, David, 124
Ridloff, Daniel, 161
Ritter, Rudolf, 75n
Roberts, Thomas, 211
Robinson, Jeffrey, 56
Rodgers, Cathy, 245–46
Roffman, Marvin, 92
Rogovin, Mitchell, 4, 120
Rohrabacher, Dana, 242, 247
Rose, Adam, 141
Rosen, Rotem, 144, 159, 161, 209–10, 276
Rosenbaum, Ron, 44
Rosenberg, Ethel, 23
Rosenberg, Howard, 131
Rosenstiel, Lewis, 23
Rosneft, 216
RosUkrEnergo (RUE), 112, 145–46, 180, 188–89
Rotenberg, Arkady, 69, 76, 115n
Rotenberg, Boris, 69, 76, 115n
Rove, Karl, 232
Royce, Knut, 114
Rubell, Steve, 26
Rubin, Sandra, 108
Rubio, Marco, 234–35
Ruffin, Phil, 208
Russian economy
hyperinflation, 73
International Monetary Fund foreign aid bill, 119
“loans for shares” plan, 75–76
looting of natural resources, 73, 76, 90
post-Cold War problems, 61, 73–77
privatization of state-owned companies, 75–76
Russian FSB. See also KGB
accusations of crimes being committed by, 98–100, 179
alleged ties to the Ryazan bombing, 103
and al-Qaeda, 175–76
connections from Trump to the, 3
Putin’s restructuring of, 97–98
size and strength, 45–46
as a successor to the KGB, 70n
Trump as a target of, 43, 46–47, 127–28
Russian influence in Europe
Brexit, 220–21, 247–48
Poland, 221–22
Syrian refugee crisis, 220, 250
widespread attacks across the continent, 222
Russian influence in the US
after Trump became president, 2
crime syndicates, rapid growth of, 83–84
hackers and bots, 255–56, 262–63
interference in Western politics, 17, 258–59
1992 expansion orders, 65
2016 US presidential elections, 2, 227–30, 231–32, 240, 246–47, 250–53, 258–60, 262–63
Wall Street and politicians, 87, 215–17
Russian Mafia
Circle of Brothers ruling council, 65
collaborations with the Italian Mafia, 7–8, 82–83
compared to the Italian Mafia, 35–36, 137
control over Donald Trump, 223–25
as an enforcer for the Russian government, 18–19
first major role in the US, 6
gang warfare, 74–75
hit lists, 83
Izmaylovskaya Organized Crime Group (OCG), 164–65
Jewish involvement in, 115
money laundering, 3, 13–14, 56, 61–63, 66–67, 87–88, 121–23, 202–04, 223–24
Nahmad-Trincher organization, 202–03
operational home in Trump Tower, 3
representation by respected US law firms, 217–18
and the Russian Federation, 3
Solntsevskaya Bratva, 58–59, 63, 198
Taiwanchik-Trincher organization, 202–03
Tambovskaya crime gang, 68, 75
vory v zakone (“thieves-in-law”), 31–32, 64, 83, 197
worldwide growth, 83–84
Russian Standard Group, 216
Ryan, Paul, 245–47
Ryazan “false flag” operation, 103
Rybolovlev, Dmitry, 276
Salerno, Anthony (“Fat Tony”), 25
Salye, Marina, 74
sanctions
against Russia, 120n–121n
Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, 237–42
Trump’s plans to roll back, 226–27
Sanders, Bernie, 251
Sapir, Alex, 209–10
Sapir, Tamir, 29, 113, 139, 141, 143–44, 159, 161, 277
Sapir, Zina, 161
Sapir Organization, 130–31, 157, 159, 167, 216
Sater, Felix
alleged criminal activities, 133–34, 136, 167–68
connections to Chabad Lubavitch, 161, 243
described, 149–51, 154–55, 198, 210
early life, 131–33, 162
name variants, 131n, 151
relationship with Donald Trump, 4, 29–30, 139–40, 151–56, 207–08, 229–30, 263, 277
relationship with Semion Mogilevich, 198–99
work as a confidential informant, 134–37, 151, 167, 199
Satter, David, 102
Savenko, Yuri, 174
Sberbank, 209
Scaramella, Mario, 175, 176, 178
Scarfo, Nicodemo, 48, 123n
Schelkanov, Alexander, 73
Schiller, Keith, 209
Schneerson, Menachem Mendel, 116, 161, 260
Schneiderman, Eric, 142n
Schrager, Ian, 26
Schumer, Chuck, 159n
Schwartz, Tony, 38
The Scorpio
n and the Frog (Lauria and Barry), 133
Scott, Darrell, 261
Seabeco SA, 70–71, 144–45, 149–50, 158, 171
Sechin, Igor, 77
Semion Mogilevich Organization, 56, 59, 86–87
separation of powers, 98
Sepiashvili, Temur. See Tamir Sapir
Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, 237–38, 239, 241–42
Sessions, Jeff, 250, 251, 272
Sessions, Pete, 120n–121n
Sessions, William, 4, 120, 168–69, 218
sexual misconduct
allegations against Trump at Bayrock, 153
allegations of pedophilia against Putin, 176–77, 179
Bayrock yacht parties, 143
“honey traps” for visiting politicians and businessmen, 50
kompromat (compromising materials) on Donald Trump, 3, 128, 213–14
kompromat (compromising materials) on Yuri Skuratov, 101
Trump’s backstage access to the Miss Universe pageant, 211
SGM (Stroygazmontazh) Group, 76
Shand, Andrea Manafort, 190, 233, 254
Shayevich, Adolf, 159
Shearer, Cody, 95
Sheferovsky, Michael, 29, 131–32, 133, 134
Shestakov, Vasily, 69
Shnaider, Alex, 145–46, 277
Shugart, Paula, 204
Shusterman, Fima, 163–64
Shusterman, Laura, 132, 163–64
Sibneft oil company, 76
Silver, Nate, 260
Simes, Dmitri, 250
Sipher, John, 71, 149, 168, 212, 217
Sistema Holding, 58, 94, 155
Sitarchuk, Eric, 120, 277–78
Skuratov, Yuri, 100–01
Smeshko, Ihor, 80–81
Smith, David, 22
Sobchak, Anatoly, 72–73, 95, 100
Sokolov, Sergei, 145
Solntsevskaya Bratva, 58–59, 63, 198
Soviet Union
dissolution of, 60, 170
Trump’s views on, 60
Spadi Trading, 234
SPAG real estate holding company, 75
Sparks, Matt, 247
Stalin, Joseph, 32, 97, 115
Stasiuk, Gregory, 121
State Street Capital Markets, 133–34
StB (Czech secret police), 42–43, 53–54
Steele, Christopher, 166, 213
Steele Dossier on getting US intelligence from Trump, 166–68, 213, 243–44
Steinberg, Phil, 7
stock fraud involving YBM Magnex, 107, 108–09, 199
Stone, Roger, 51, 181–83, 215, 235, 255, 278
Stotts, Debra, 123
Strategic Communications Laboratories Group (SCL), 234
Studio 54, 23–24, 26
Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, 216
Surkov, Vladislav, 191–95
Sutherland, Kenny, 22
Suvorov, Victor, 49
Svoboda, Libor, 42–43
Sweeney, John, 207–08
Syrian refugee crisis, 220, 250
Tambovskaya crime gang, 68, 75
Tau, Byron, 255
taxi medallion business, 164
Taylor, William, 111
Tchenguiz, Vincent, 234
Telesh, Galina, 112, 204
Temnikov, Maxim, 154–55
Territorial Defense Force, 221–22
terrorism
FBI’s shift to focus on radical Islamist, 137
Testa, Salvatore (“Salvie”), 48
Timchenko, Gennady, 76, 78, 278
Todd, Chuck, 248
Tokhtakhounov, Alimzhan (“Taiwanchik”), 58, 201–03, 204, 212, 213, 278–79
Tomasello, Willie, 21–22
Topolov, Viktor, 164
Trans Commodities, Inc., 114
Trans World Group, 114, 144
Treisman, Daniel, 153
Trepashkin, Mikhail, 175
Trincher, Vadim, 203–04, 278
Trio, the (Maskevich, Chodiev, Ibragimov), 140, 145, 158–59, 167
Trud athletic club, 69
Trump, Donald
approach to public relations and marketing, 37–38, 129–30, 141–42
back channel between Putin and Trump, 235–44
and Bayrock Group, LLC, 130–31, 138–44, 224
bombastic style, 228–29, 252
book excerpts, 26
brand value of the Trump name, 125–26, 128, 130–31, 138–42, 144–48
building a wall to stop illegal immigration, 224
business ties to Russia, 2–3, 15–16, 124, 126–27, 206–07, 229, 262
casino businesses, 48–49, 66–67, 91–92, 121–22
Commodore Hotel (later Grand Hyatt Hotel) purchase, 23, 25–26, 29, 113
debates against Hillary Clinton, 258–59
denials of Russian involvement, 2, 166–67, 257–58
and Felix Sater, 4, 29–30, 139–40, 151–56, 207–08, 229–30, 263, 277
59 Russian connections, 265–79
hotel development in Russia, 94–95, 206–07, 209–11, 229
marriage and prior relationship with Marla Maples, 65, 141
marriage to Ivana Zelníčková, 38–39, 53–54, 65
marriage to Melania Knauss, 141
Miss Universe pageant, 92–93, 146, 204–06, 208–09, 211–12
money obsession, 16, 22, 206–07
nuclear arms interest, 43–45
personal debt, 4, 65–67, 91–92, 125, 207
as a possible intelligence asset of Vladimir Putin, 4, 166–68, 223–25
preference for doing business with crooks, 124, 126–27, 212, 213
as a presidential candidate, 52–53, 104, 169, 224–27, 228–30
Reform Party presidential nomination bid, 105, 121
relationships with people tied to the Russian Mafia, 29, 121, 161, 198–99, 208, 262
and Russian interference in 2016 US presidential elections, 2, 227–30, 231–32, 235–44, 246–47, 250–53
and Semion Mogilevich, 199, 213–14, 225, 274
sexual misconduct, accusations of, 153, 211
Steele Dossier on giving US intelligence to Putin, 166–68, 213, 243–44
as the symbol of wealth in the 1980s, 36–38
ties to Aras and Emin Agalarov, 201, 204–06, 209–10, 211–12, 224, 229, 235–37, 265–66
visits to the Soviet Union/Russia, 49–50, 93–95, 206–07, 208–13
and Vladimir Putin, 208–09, 211, 225–27, 229–30, 253
Trump, Donald, Jr. (Donald’s son), 65, 153–54, 210, 235–37, 239–41, 243, 255, 261
Trump, Eric (Donald’s son), 65, 207
Trump, Fred (Donald’s father)
involvement with people tied to the Mafia, 21–22
questionable loan to Trump Castle, 91
scandals regarding real estate projects, 20–22
Steeplechase Park vandalism incident, 21
Trump, Frederick (Donald’s grandfather), 20
Trump, Ivana (Donald’s first wife), 38–39, 53–54, 65
Trump, Ivanka (Donald’s daughter), 65, 116, 147, 153–54, 156–57, 160, 198, 260
Trump, John (Donald’s uncle), 44
Trump, Melania (Donald’s wife), 141
Trump: Surviving at the Top (Trump), 65
Trump: The Art of the Comeback (Trump with Bohner), 92
Trump: The Art of the Deal (Trump with Schwartz), 26, 38, 47
Trump-branded properties worldwide, 14, 95, 138–39, 142, 148, 211
Trump Castle, 91–92
Trump family alleged ties to organized crime
biographers of, 20n
in Canada’s Yukon Territory, 20
Fred Trump’s partner and the Gambino and Genovese families, 21–22
scandals regarding Fred Trump’s real estate projects, 20–22
Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower (Panama), 146–48
Trump Organization
role of Michael Cohen, 165–66
roles of Donald Jr., Ivanka, an
d Eric, 165
Trump Princess, 38, 66, 125
Trump Revealed (Kranish and Fisher), 130
Trump SoHo, 10–31, 150–51, 155–58, 167, 209–10, 254
Trump Taj Mahal, 48–49, 66, 91, 92n, 121–22
Trump Tower
architecture and design, 10–11, 203
construction, 25
David Bogatin’s interest in, 10–13, 15–16, 223
licensing deals worldwide, 139–40
location and prestige, 37, 203
as an operational home for the Russian Mafia, 3, 203–04
sales to alleged criminals, 15, 223–24
sales to shell companies, 12–14, 26, 203
similarities to Putin’s Ozero dacha cooperative, 77
2013 gambling ring arrest, 201–04
Trump Tower and Hotel in Toronto, 145–46
Trump Tower Baku, 148
Trump Tower Moscow, 206–07, 209–10, 229
Trump University, 141–42
Trump World Tower, 123–24, 162
Turchak, Anatoly, 77
2016 US presidential elections
announcement of Trump’s candidacy, 224–27
announcement of Trump’s win in Russia, 1, 263
back channel from Putin through Agalarovs to Trump, 235–44
media coverage and polling, 224–25, 234–35, 252, 259–62
Obama’s awareness of Russia’s interference, 5
Russian interference, 2, 225, 227–30, 231–32, 240, 246–47, 250–53, 255–56, 260, 262–63
Trump compared to P.T. Barnum, 37, 228–29
Trump’s exploratory research regarding a run, 207
Trump’s narrow victory, 262–63
Tymoshenko, Yulia, 166, 185, 189
Ukraine
bartering trade, 109–10
energy resources, 90, 107, 112–13, 180, 188–89
Euromaidan protests, 17
“It’s a Gas” investigation of the Turkmen-Ukraine gas trade, 112
Maidan Square violence, 189–90
Orange Revolution of 2004, 171, 180
Party of Regions, 180–81, 186, 188
Paul Manafort’s work with Yanukovych in, 183–90
Putin’s 2017 visit to, 5
Putin’s control of, 170–71, 180–81, 183
Russian bombing, 245–46
Ukrainian secret service (SBU), 108–09
US policy regarding, 248–49, 253
Unger, Craig, 26n
US Family Network (DeLay slush fund), 119
The Usual Suspects (film), 55
Usvyatsov, Leonid Ionovich, 63, 68–69, 75
Vanik, Charles A., 27
Varzar, Michael, 163
Varzar, Tatiana, 163
Vashchilin, Nikolai, 63
Vekselberg, Viktor, 279
Ventura, Jesse, 121
Veselnitskaya, Natalia V., 237, 238–43, 279
Veselovsky, Leonid, 145
Vilimek, Tomas, 43
Vinnitsky, Mishka, 64
Vinogradov, Vladimir, 86