George Santos and the Russian Oligarch

Those who closely followed Robert Mueller’s investigation into the Russian affair may remember Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg and his naturalized American cousin Andrew Intrater. Mueller became interested in the relationship between Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, and Intrater, whose investment firm, then called Columbus Nova, had the Vekselberg conglomerate as its largest client. Mueller has not charged Vekselberg or Intrater as part of his investigation. However, Intrater’s name has now been linked to New York Republican Representative George Santos.

According to one Uniqueness of The Washington Post, Intrater and his wife each donated the maximum amount of $5,800 directly to Santos’ last election campaign. They have also donated tens of thousands of dollars to various political committees connected to the Long Island Storyteller since 2020. But the relationship between Santos and Intrater did not end there.

The Post it Intrater’s Columbus Nova was indicted in 2021 for orchestrating a Ponzi scheme that revealed it invested $625,000 in Harbor City, one of Santos’ former owners. In a meeting on Zoom with colleagues from Harbor City, Santos referred to Columbus Nova as his “client.”

“You probably know who they are,” Santos said at the meeting. “They made the headlines many times. They were heavily involved in the Russia investigation. Unfairly. »

Neither Santos nor Columbus Nova, now known as Sparrow Capital, responded to inquiries. Post it. Santos, it should be noted, was not charged in the Harbor City suit.

However, after freezing Harbor City’s assets, Santos formed a new company in 2021 with a former colleague, the Devolder Organization, which paid him at least $3.5 million over the next two years, according to official statements Santos named as a candidate. For the House of Representatives. In 2022, Santos also loaned his campaign more than $700,000.

So Santos has a new identity with Donald Trump. Besides being an outright liar, he also benefited from the financial support of an intraterrestrial who never stopped doing business with his oligarch cousin. Intrater donated $250,000 to the organizing committee for Donald Trump’s inauguration, which he co-chaired with Vekselberg.

Vekselberg was sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2018 for profiting from Vladimir Putin’s “malign activities” “around the world”. His $90 million yacht was seized by Spanish authorities at the request of the United States after Russia invaded Ukraine.

It would be a shame if he participated in Santos’ election through his American cousin.

(EPA Photo/Sutterstock)