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real-human
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 Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2024 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/allegations-of-russian-donations-to-us-speaker-mike-johnson-resurface-amid-aid-bill-controversy/ar-BB1ivd5V?ocid=winp2fptaskbarhover&cvid=fa2b652bfce142a6a51f3718c6e19a85&ei=37
Allegations of Russian Donations to US Speaker Mike Johnson Resurface Amid Aid Bill Controversy
| Quote: | In 2018, Johnson’s bid for the Louisiana seat he eventually won saw a contribution from the Texas-based American Ethane company, which at the time was 88 percent owned by three Russian nationals—Konstantin Nikolaev, Mikhail Yuriev, and Andrey Kunatbaev. Nikolaev, a well-known ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been a figure of controversy, particularly due to his financial backing of Maria Butina, a Russian citizen who served time for acting as an unregistered foreign agent to influence U.S. foreign policy.
Johnson’s campaign had assured in 2018 that the funds were returned once they were “made aware of the situation.” This move was to comply with federal law, which makes it illegal for a campaign to knowingly accept donations from a foreign-owned corporation or foreign nationals.
Social media users and critics have pointed to these donations amid Johnson’s opposition to the foreign aid bill, suggesting a possible conflict of interest. On the same day that Johnson expressed his refusal to advance the Senate’s bill in the House, a Ukraine-based blog posted on social media, “US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson received campaign contributions from American Ethane, a company 88% owned by three Russians. Now, do you understand why he was categorically against the aid to Ukraine?”
A Federal Election Commission (FEC) investigation concluded in 2022 that American Ethane made political campaign contributions using funds derived from loans from foreign entities ultimately owned by Russian nationals. Although the FEC imposed a civil penalty on American Ethane, some commissioners expressed that the fine was too lenient and failed to enforce one of the most fundamental provisions related to foreign influence in elections.
As Speaker of the House, Johnson’s decisions carry significant weight, especially concerning policy decisions like the foreign aid bill. The resurgence of this financial controversy underscores the delicate balance between political fundraising and the integrity of democratic processes.
Johnson’s office, when contacted for comment via email, has not responded at the time of reporting. The ties between Johnson’s campaign contributions and Russian nationals, especially in the context of current geopolitical tensions involving Ukraine, continue to raise questions and spark dialogue about the potential influence of foreign money in American politics.
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real-human
Joined: 02 Jul 2011
Posts: 14892
Location: on earth
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| Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2024 10:31 pm Post subject: |
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/former-australian-pm-trump-acts-like-12-year-old-boy-around-putin/ar-BB1iZEMI?ocid=winp2fptaskbar&cvid=dc8dd1d43a7d4030cec381e83609396b&ei=15
Former Australian PM: Trump acts like 12-year-old boy around Putin
| Quote: | Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described former President Trump’s rhetoric around Russian President Vladimir Putin as that of an admiring “12-year-old boy.”
Speaking on Australian ABC’s “Q+A” show, Turnbull spoke about Trump’s interactions with Putin, saying they show the former president in “awe” of Putin.
“When you see Trump with Putin, as I have on a few occasions, he’s like the 12-year-old boy who goes to high school and meets the captain of the football team. ‘My hero,'” Turnbull said Monday. “It’s really creepy.”
Turnbull’s criticism comes after the former president compared the recent death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny to his own legal woes, and, unlike President Biden and other U.S. leaders, did not place blame on the Kremlin.
The Hill reached has out to Trump’s campaign for comment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a recent interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, also voiced concerns about Trump’s view of Putin.
“I don’t think he understands that Putin will never stop,” Zelensky said.
Turnbull also warned that Trump winning reelection in November could pose a threat to national security. He said the former president — who is the front-runner in the GOP primary — is leading a party “no longer committed to democracy.”
“The scary thing is that for countries like Australia and many European countries, we may find ourselves not dealing just with two autocracies in Russia and China, but what is Trump’s America going to look like?” Turnbull said. “This is a guy leading a party that is no longer committed to democracy as we understand it.”
Democratic lawmakers have also questioned Trump’s perceived friendship with the Russian President.
Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) argued that were the former president to return to the White House, he would “hand the keys over” to Putin. She also said Ukraine’s fate would be sealed, with Russia’s invasion of the country having recently hit the two-year mark.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), an outspoken critic of Trump, recently claimed his comments on Navalny were “beneath the dignity of a human being.”
“You wonder, what does Putin have on Donald Trump that he always has to be beholden to him, his buddy in vileness?” Pelosi said last week in an interview on MSNBC. |
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real-human
Joined: 02 Jul 2011
Posts: 14892
Location: on earth
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| Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2024 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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repugnats senator and congressperson cite fake russian sites as real news.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE4MJ0AiccQ&list=PLDIVi-vBsOEyETRGoRP9y8zhyu6bHl6iK&index=4
How Russia duped two Republicans with propaganda laundered through fake news sites
| Quote: | | Rachel Maddow explains how Russia is using real-looking, fake news sites to introduce propaganda in American discourse by giving fake stories the appearance of legitimate sourcing, fooling some Republicans into resharing false information that they want to believe is true. |
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