Washington, D.C. — Seventeen U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies have stated that Russian government hackers infiltrated and manipulated the U.S. election in order to aid President-elect Donald Trump. Yet, the president-elect refuses to acknowledge this attack on American democracy. Of all issues, interference by a foreign power in U.S. elections should concern all Americans, regardless of political party. However, a close look at Trump and his team’s complex and troubling web of Russian financial connections helps explain why Trump sounds a lot like Vladimir Putin’s personal lobbyist rather than America’s president-elect.
The Center for American Progress has released a report looking at Trump’s unprecedented Russian conflicts of interest and those of the officials he has nominated for high-level offices in the federal government. They show an unprecedented amount of influence from Russia that could erode the principles on which our constitution is moored.
“When you follow the money with Donald Trump, you invariably end up in Moscow, surrounded by shady oligarchs and Putin cronies,” said Vikram Singh, Vice President for National Security and International Policy at CAP. “So any lack of transparency by this incoming administration is a potential threat to national security. Trump’s unwillingness to publicly release details of his finances make it all too likely that his myriad Russian entanglements will leave him vulnerable to the demands of President Vladimir Putin, Russian oligarchs, and Russia’s hostile intelligence services. This level of influence by a foreign power—which extends beyond Trump himself to many in his inner circle and official orbit —has already damaged the basic integrity of America’s democracy with the hacking of the 2016 election. The public should know where the new administration stands.”
The new report argues that in order to thwart Russian ambitions and protect American interests above all others, Donald Trump and all of his nominees should:
- Release tax returns
- Support an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate Russian manipulation of the U.S. election
- Fully disclose all foreign ties and potential conflicts of interest
- Fully divest from all private equity and business holdings and place them in a blind trust
Furthermore, this means Donald Trump must divest from the Trump Organization for the duration of his time in office. The president of the United States can have only one job and that is to serve the American people.
Click here to read the report.
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, contact Tom Caiazza at [email protected] or 202.481.7141.