Russia investigation: Americans deserve to know

With each passing day, it seems we have fallen down the proverbial rabbit hole and are now attending the Mad Hatter’s tea party. What crimes has President Trump, his campaign staff, family or current staff committed that he is now questioning the possibility of offering Presidential pardons? Why is Trump harassing Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign since he recused himself from the Russia investigation? Trump is checking on his ability to lift sanctions on Russia, to reverse the actions President Obama took (seizing 2 Russian compounds and deporting 35 Russian operatives due to Russia’s intrusion in our 2016 election).

Russia attacked our country using the latest in cyber warfare — it’s a fact supported by our entire National Security team. To ignore this and not take action against Russia is unacceptable. Instead, Trump has formed a strange alliance with Vladimir Putin, who is second only in lying perhaps to our

own president. Trump is America’s major source of “fake news.”

Putin’s resume reads like the boss of a mafia organization, not a democratically-elected leader. His close advisers are all former K.G.B. and F.S.B. (Russian Federal Security Service). Putin sold Russian-owned businesses to his oligarchy friends. The Russian government controls TV, internet and the newspaper RBC. In the past decade, 30 journalists have been murdered and 63 violently attacked to suppress any criticism of the Kremlin. Those that have opposed him politically have been arrested, imprisoned, poisoned or have met other mysterious deaths. Putin’s military action in the Ukraine and annexing of Crimea in See WEAVER, B2

Kathy Weaver

 
 

 

WEAVER

Continued from B1

his quest to reclaim former Soviet States resulted in U.S. and international sanctions against Russia.

These sanctions against Russia, Putin’s costly military buildup and their intervention in Syria has lead to the economically damaging recession in their country. So it is understandable why Putin would want to insert his power on our government. He wants the oil sanctions lifted, to begin oil exploration in the Arctic.

Exxon Mobil Corp. also wants the sanctions lifted, as they are being fined $2 million for illegally signing oil agreements (while Rex Tillerson was CEO) with Russia. Putin wants the prohibitions removed under the Magnitsky Act. This bipartisan U.S.

congressional law prohibits 18 Russian individuals from entering the U.S.

and freezes their financial assets in the U.S. The bill is named after Sergei Magnitsky, who was imprisoned in Russia and beaten to death because of his investigation of fraud involving Russian tax officials. Putin is a thug, he hasn’t stopped fighting in Syria where Russian’s bombing killed 440 of the civilian population in Aleppo and the war in the Ukraine and Crimea continues. Putin has taken no responsibility for his meddling in our U.S. elections. Why all the countless meetings and financial dealings between Trump’s campaign staff and Russian officials?

Michael Flynn, as a campaign adviser, met with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak in Washington to discuss the sanctions imposed by Obama. Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner (Trump’s son-in-law) met with a Russian attorney and four other Russians to receive information to use against Hillary Clinton during the election.

Kushner met with banker Sergei Gorkov from a U.S.-sanctioned Russian bank which funds Putin pet projects and

100 other Russians. Sessions met twice with Kislyak, then lied about those meetings. Paul Manafort, as an unregistered foreign agent, had extensive financial dealings with pro-Russian leaders in the Ukraine before joining the Trump team.

The House and Senate in a bipartisan action against Russia passed a sanctions bill placing penalties on Moscow for interfering in our 2016 election and their military actions in both Syria and the Ukraine.

President Trump reluctantly signed the bill.

The question remains: What is Trump hiding? The investigation of Russian influence in our government must continue — Americans deserve to know why the Trump administration is so involved with the Kremlin.

Putin is a thug, he hasn’t stopped fighting in Syria where Russian’s bombing killed 440 of the civilian population in Aleppo and the war in the Ukraine and Crimea continues.