#FREE Penthouse, Part IV, The Russians
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Trump -Russia, The Betrayal of America
NPR reported that just two months after Donald Trump was inaugurated, on March 1, 2018,
Alexander Torshin passed away. The Russian politician, oligarch and crime lord had an untimely motorcycle accident. Alexander Torshin was an avid Twitter user and lifetime member of the NRA in the US. One of his best friends, although not related, was Yuri Torshin, the commander of the FSB “Alpha” group.
Alexander Torshin was a celebrity of sorts. He had status in Russian politics, formerly a Senator of the Russian Parliament, he then was elected or. chosen to be the Speaker of the Russian Parliament. He then became part of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and became very wealthy. He was elevated to become the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Russia, sort of like our Federal Reserve Bank. Alexander Torshin may have met Donald Trump during the Miss Universe Pageant in Moscow in 2013. Or at least heard of Donald Trump by reputation from Aras Agalarov, Trumps partner in the Russian Miss Universe Pageant.
Dimitry Rogozin, I like to refer to him as the “Captain Chaos.” Back in March 2014, the U.S. government accused and sanctioned Dmitry Rogozin—the hardline Deputy to Vladimir Putin, the head of Russia’s defense industry and longtime opponent of American power—in retaliation for the invasion of Crimea and eastern Ukraine.
It should be pointed out that Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin is no ordinary Russian official. Per the Daily Beast he had represented Russia in direct talks with NATO, his portfolio includes the defense industry. One area where Rogozin seems specifically involved is cyber-warfare, which he has promoted for its “first strike” capability. And he’s well-known in Russia for being an extreme right-wing radical. Rogozin led the ultra-right party called Rodina, or Motherland, and famously believes in the restoration of the Russian Empire. (To him Alaska is still part of American-Russia.).
Eighteen months later, the National Rifle Association, Donald Trump’s most powerful outside ally during the 2016 election, sent a delegation to Moscow that met with him on December 11, 2015. Why would he want to meet with the NRA?
Maria Butina, the Russian red headed femme fatal, possibly worked as a liasson between with Torshin and the NRA. She claimed to be the spokesperson for a group of 10,000 Russians which she co-founded five years ago called the “Right to Bear Arms” a similar organization to the US based NRA in Russia. Butina worked closely with NRA VP Davis Keene and his wife to organize the 2015 Moscow trip. Keene used his NRA authority and email address in making the arrangements for those members that would be attending the conference with help from NRA staffer, Nicholas Perrine, according to CNN. Maria Butina hosted and was instrumental in arranging for the NRA elites to fly to Moscow to meet with her good friend, Deputy Governor Alexander Torshin of the Central Bank of Russia, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lovrov. On the other side of the table in Moscow there was NRA First Vice President Peter Brownell, from the NRA Board of Directors, Davis Keene; Dr. Arnold Goldschlager, heavy financial funder with his daughter Hilary, President of the NRA Women’s Forum. Also attending was Joe Gregory, an NRA fundraiser, Jim Liberatore, CEO of the Outdoor Channel, and curiously, Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke. These elite NRA representatives were not in Moscow to just check out the sights. December is normally the dead of a cold Russian Winter. What were they discussing that would require a flight to Moscow? Importing more Russian more to the US?Perhaps, Vladimir Putin appearing shirtless in an Outdoor Channel episode?
According to a McClatchy newspaper report, millions of dollars were donated by Russian oligarchs to the NRA. Torshin was widely supportive of Donald Trump as he ran for US President. He had conversed with Donald Trump jr. during an NRA meeting in 2016. Then he and twenty-two (22) other Russian oligarchs donated, an estimated amount of $50,000,000. or more (up to an estimated $70,000,000). This donated money to the NRA was to be purposed for the campaigns of several GOP candidates, $30,000,000. of which was specifically to be earmarked for the Donald Trump presidential election campaign in 2017. At least $10,000,000. more than any other Trump or GOP Political Action Committee money. These Oligarchs are buying the right to (illegally) influence American politics with the NRA as a co-conspirator. What do they have to gain?
But here is the kicker, Alexander Torshin is also reportedly the godfather of the Russian criminal syndicate “Taganskaya” which is under investigation by Interpol and others for money laundering in the West. He was using Spanish banking and probably Deutsche Bank to launder his money. One of the most popular ways to launder money is through real estate. After Donald Trump’s Atlantic City casinos collapsed from mismanagement, seven (7) bankruptcies and no lending ability in the USA. No US bank would not lend the Trump Organization a penny. However, in 2018, Donald Trump jr. states that the Trump Organization has plenty of Russian capital to build their projects.
We do not know not know when, but it is a good bet that Torshin had been introduced to a new friend while running for political office as a member of the Russian parliament. Someone who made significant financial contributions to his campaign. That person was a Russian mafia don. After several terms in the Russian Parliament and gaining respect among its members, Alexander Torshin was elected to the position of Speaker.
More prestigious in Russia than it its to be Speaker of the House in the USA. Russia only has one party. Alexander Torshin now had the financial support of the Russian mafia and the ear of President Putin. Putin endorsed Torshin to become the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Russia.
In speculation, his Russian mafia friend(s) asked him for some investment advice that could be very lucrative for them and himself. How to legally move millions of mafia generated Russian rubles to the West and change them into “cleaned” Euros and Dollars in a European or American bank and then use their money as to invest. They could use the money to build lavish homes in London, hotels, golf courses, office buildings. Also, real estate investments that are easy to manage with an American partner.
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Ben Miedema
Published • 12mo
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