Russian Once Tied to Trump Aide Seeks Immunity to Testify Before Congress
Source: The New York Times
Russian Once Tied to Trump Aide Seeks Immunity to Testify Before Congress
By BARRY MEIER and JESSE DRUCKER
MAY 26, 2017
Oleg V. Deripaska, a Russian oligarch once close to President Trumps former campaign manager, has offered to cooperate with congressional committees investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election, but lawmakers are unwilling to accept his conditions, according to congressional officials.
Mr. Deripaskas offer comes amid increased attention to his ties to Paul Manafort, who is one of several Trump associates under F.B.I. scrutiny for possible collusion with Russia during the presidential campaign. The two men did business together in the mid-2000s, when Mr. Manafort, a Republican operative, was also providing campaign advice to Kremlin-backed politicians in Ukraine. Their relationship subsequently soured and devolved into a lawsuit.
Mr. Deripaska, an aluminum magnate who is a member of the inner circle of the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, recently offered to cooperate with congressional intelligence committees in exchange for a grant of full immunity, according to three congressional officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the issue publicly. But the Senate and House panels turned him down because of concerns that immunity agreements create complications for federal criminal investigators, the officials said.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/26/us/politics/oleg-deripaska-paul-manafort.html?_r=0
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)Sounds like the wagons are circling closer and closer.
MelissaB
(16,420 posts)Thomas Hurt
(13,903 posts)Why should a non US citizen who lives in Russia and has wealth and political power be doing this?
Why does he care if the US Congress wants to question him or that the US wants to arrest him.
If he is on Poot Poot's shit list he is better off seeking asylum here before he ends up face down on the sidewalk with bullet in him.
If that is the case his exit strategy just got burned.
pecosbob
(7,533 posts)This guy is the modern Russian equivalent of a cabinet minister...why would he volunteer to provide info to our congress? WTF would his agenda be, I wonder.
Bernardo de La Paz
(48,957 posts)wishstar
(5,268 posts)and seeking US protection. Otherwise he would just downplay or deny the Trump/Russia involvement
jpak
(41,756 posts)nope