US Firm that paid indicted FBI informant tied to Trump Associates, records reveal

[surfered]

Source: The Guardian

Alexander Smirnov was paid $600,000 in 2020 - the same year he allegedly began lying to FBI about Bidens' role in Ukraine business.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/14/company-paying-fbi-informant-trump-connections

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Is the name Smear-nov genuine?

Or an elbow-in-the-ribs get it joke?

[peppertree]

6. Of course though - if you ask Republicans, it's the gospel truth from on high.

[Diraven]

18. In Soviet Russia...

Criminal pays you!

[peppertree]

19. *snort*

[soldierant]

23. No such thing as Soviet Russia

It's just Russia now.

[DFW]

29. He was referring to the joke of Yakov Smirnov

A Soviet Jew who came to the USA during the Soviet era, Smirnov made a living doing comedy pretending not to understand the difference between the two countries. One of his more memorable jokes was “in America, you can always find (a) party. In Soviet Union, (the) Party always finds YOU.”

That became a standard joke in many parts of the States for a decade or more. THAT is what the poster was referring to. I am quite sure he knows the difference between the Soviet Union and post-1991 Russia.

[soldierant]

31. He very well may - I am familiar with the joke.

But there are many who apparently are not.

[NanaCat]

32. Not very many

I'm sure you meant to do that.

[Maeve]

2. Shocked. Shocked, I tells ya!

[spinbaby]

9. Just shocked

As the famous line goes: I'm shocked! Shocked to find that gambling is going on in here.

[Ford_Prefect]

3. Influence pedaling, and money laundering, and Russian pals, Oh My!

I found the alleged $2 Billion offer to be very interesting indeed. Especially when you take into account Trump's proclivity for saying out loud outrageous things he later does.

“Hussein, Damac, a friend of mine, a great guy. I was offered $2bn to do a deal in Dubai, a number of deals, and I turned it down,” Trump said in 2017.

We also can see the hidden finances driving Trump Media. I once made the remark that Dubai, among others, was a place to look for Trump's off-shore cash. I am not surprised to find that I was on the money in that statement. It may also explain why he seems so blasé about the cash he is supposed to pay in the Financial Fraud case.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. ...

[UpInArms]

5. From the article

Condon, Arjomand and Khan registered ETT Investment Holding Limited in the UK on 6 March 2020. Khan, an investor who purchased the Plaza Hotel in 2018, and Arjomand have ties to Donald Trump through Trump associates and Damac, a major Middle East developer that has partnered with Trump for a decade. Arjomand, Khan and Condon owned 34%, 33% and 33% of ETT Investment Holding Limited respectively, according to UK business filings. No other information on the UK company is readily available.

Former Damac chairman Hussain Sajwani is also close to Trump and has been described as his friend in multiple news reports. Trump has called the billionaire a “friend” and a “great man”, and his family “the most beautiful people”.

Sajwani attended Trump’s 2016 inauguration, and Trump’s sons Donald Jr and Eric Trump attended the 2017 ribbon-cutting of the Trump International golf club in Dubai, licensed by Damac in 2014. Sajwani and his family also attended a party in 2017 at Mar-a-Lago. Trump’s sons would go on to attend Sajwani’s daughter’s wedding in 2018.

(Picture at the link shows the following people)

Hussain Sajwani, far right, with Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in February 2017. Photograph: AP

[Bernardo de La Paz]

13. Yes, good picture at link. Summarized in text:

Alexander Smirnov
| Received $600,000 from:
V
ETT (Texas)
| Whose CEO is:
V
Christopher Condon
| Who is 33% shareholder in:
V
ETT Investment Holding (London)
| Along with:
V
Shahal Kahn & Farooq Arjomand
| Who both have ties to:
V
Donald tRump

[kysrsoze]

7. Now... will the U.S. media even bother reporting it?

[3Hotdogs]

20. It is extracted from article in the W.S.J. and Guardian.

[BlueMTexpat]

25. The Guardian is

a UK newspaper. It has almost always been more accurate than any in the US.

[republianmushroom]

8. Is Johnson and gym jim going to investigate this ?

[SergeStorms]

26. Of course they will!

They just hate this sort of thing, and I'm sure a complete investigation of Trump's finances is already in the works.

Yeah, right. They're most likely trying to tie it to Joe and/or Hunter Biden. It's only a crime or problem if Democrats do it. The Big Orange Pig's outright bribery is of no concern. That's covered in the Constitution, and the Supreme Court agrees.

[Pachamama]

10. Follow the money

All of it and all the way to its origins

[Botany]

11. Isn't this like impeachment #1? Where Trump tried to blackmail Zelenskyy into inventing dirt ....

…. on the Bidens? And help Putin @ the same time too. And didn’t Trump, the GOP,
and the right wing and the mainstream media use made up Russian propaganda in
2016?

Btw did Johnson, Comer, Gym Jordan, and so on know about these Trump connected
payments when they were using Smirnov for their “get Biden” hearings? The payments
were in 2020 they had to have known about them.


People need to be in jail for this shit or at the very least thrown out of Congress.

Cheating mother fuckers.

[SergeStorms]

27. That was my first thought as well.

But it's only a crime if they can tie it to Joe and/or Hunter Biden.

Donald Trump and his finances are as pure as the fallen snow. Just ask him and his cult members in the House and Senate. 🙄

[Johnny2X2X]

12. Kind of a huge story

Or it would be huge for anyone other than Trump.

[Grins]

14. Open the link and read!!!! Other names pop up.

Two jumped out at me:
- Paul Manafort, and
- Mike Pompeo.

As well as the usual suspects, Junior and Eric Trump.

[Captain Zero]

21. I've always said Pompeo is the

Dictator we will get out of Trumpism, if it isn't stopped now.

[orangecrush]

15. Well well

Chickens coming home.

[InstantGratification]

16. Some nice details of this web of deceit at Emptywheel

[link:https://www.emptywheel.net/2024/03/14/a-third-tie-between-trump-world-and-alexander-smirnov/|

[pecosbob]

17. K & R

[dalton99a]

22. Kick

[HandmaidsTaleUntold]

24. CNN

CNN should just be about who paid this guy. Eff Comer and Jordan. They are scum. They need more pressure than the left gives. They need to feel fear for their crimes.

[SergeStorms]

28. Contrary to what right-wing nuts believe....

the left does not control the media. If we did, Donald Trump would already justifiably be in prison.

[HandmaidsTaleUntold]

30. Right Wing Owns All Media

Left only has the boots on the ground that see reality.