Former Trump campaign aide is helping Russian firm shed sanctions

[yortsed snacilbuper]

A former senior campaign and transition aide to President Donald Trump recently inked a deal to help a Russian oligarch's conglomerate shed sanctions the Trump administration slapped on them last month.

Bryan Lanza, who is in regular contact with White House officials, is lobbying on behalf of the chairman of EN+ Group, an energy and aluminum firm presently controlled by Oleg Deripaska, according to several sources. Deripaska is a billionaire who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and was the target of US sanctions imposed last month. Lanza is also a CNN contributor.

Lanza is representing the chairman of EN+ Group, but not Deripaska directly. The company is seeking to reduce Deripaska's ownership in the company enough to be freed from US sanctions. Deripaska is expected to maintain a substantial stake in the company.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/former-trump-campaign-aide-is-helping-russian-firm-shed-sanctions/ar-AAxaH24?ocid=spartandhp

[Doodley]

1. I hope Meuller calls him in for questioning. It seems to be another example of "Putin,

we are really on your side - even though Trump is tougher on Russia than any other president - wink, wink."

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

2. Make Russia great again

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Apparently Deripaska is feeling the pinch of the sanctions

He had to turn in his leases on 3 planes.

.MOSCOW - Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska has handed back three private jets he was leasing because U.S. sanctions imposed on him last month make it impossible to keep using the planes, the firm retained by the owners to sell the aircraft said on Thursday.

The aircraft are Gulfstream executive jets, favored by jet-setting business people for their long range and plush interiors. They are now on sale, with the asking price for two of them set at $29.95 million each.

The return of the aircraft is an indication of how deeply the sanctions have affected Deripaska’s business empire, extending beyond the direct impact on his Rusal aluminum firm, whose sales and supply chains have been heavily disrupted.

Alireza Ittihadieh, director of Freestream, an aviation sales company that listed the three jets for sale, said the jets were owned by lenders Credit Suisse and Raiffeisen, and were then leased via a management company to Deripaska-controlled firms.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-sanctions-russia-rusal-jets-exclu/exclusive-sanctioned-russian-tycoon-hands-back-his-private-jets-idUSKBN1IB2JR