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Bill Browder's prepared statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee - must read

KingV

Member
It's pathetic honestly. You would think they would want to stand up to a corrupt authoritarian in their own backyard that is working to impoverish his own people. But nope, don't rock the boat, completely ignoring the fact that Canada and the US would absolutely step up to the plate to help them meet their energy needs.

It makes you wonder how many EU officials might be profiting from protecting the financial interests of Russian oligarchs.

Europe has a long history of showing their bellies to authoritarian states. Why stop now?
 
Remember Trump's 1 on 1 "secret meeting" with Putin at the G20. When media asked Trump what they talked about he said "adoptions".

Yep. Putin wants the US to repeal the Magnitsky Act, full stop. Trump got his money from... somewhere. "Wouldn't it be nice if we got along better with Russia?"

Putin and the oligarchs are stealing from their own country and laundering it through various means in the West including Trump businesses.
 

Mael

Member
I'm sure that the Russians just took advantage of the weaknesses that Bernie exposed in Clinton but it's really unfortunate how he's been a part of this fiasco. Remember that he also wanted Obama primaried in 2012. Thank God that didn't happen.

I don't think Putin cared that much about Sanders so long as it hurt Clinton.
If Sanders won the primary, Putin would have shifted gears depending on how the situation evolved.
I'm not kidding when I say he's really efficient.
The biggest point for foreign policy in France last April was relationship with Russia and basically all the candidates but the winners either folded before Vlad or didn't care.
I know we joke about how Putin bought the whole of the GoP but it's an actual real possibility.
 

blackjaw

Member
What I get from this is that the whole Trump family and Kushner have been using dirty Russian money to fund their real estate businesses for years, essentially laundering Russian money now frozen by the Magninsky Act.

Pretty damning information when you start connecting some dots.
 

Azuran

Banned
Everything about this situation is no fucking joke. Just reading what Magnitsky went through and the picturing Putin doing one of his outlandish photo ops is fucking infuriating.

And the sad part is that I don't see any of this stopping anytime soon. Putin will continue doing his heinous shit while his adoring fanbase praise him at every opportunity.

Donald Trump and his family are crooks who hopefully see justice someday. That's the only thing that would bring some comfort because Putin and his band of rich cronies aren't going down anytime soon.
 

Mael

Member
What I get from this is that the whole Trump family and Kushner have been using dirty Russian money to fund their real estate businesses for years, essentially laundering Russian money now frozen by the Magninsky Act.

Pretty damning information when you start connecting some dots.

It makes sense, Trump Ltd (let's call the family like that) is basically unable to loan money from regular normal banks.
Only Deutch bank is willing to loan money to serial defaulter Trump, so he did the exact same thing LePen did in France when she was unable to secure funds :
Get that money from Russian banks.
They launder money because no one will fund them otherwise, it's a match made in heaven.

Do we really need to know the content of the meeting with Jr at this point?
I mean for proper justice maybe but the picture should be clear for everyone at this point.
 

KingV

Member
I'm sure that the Russians just took advantage of the weaknesses that Bernie exposed in Clinton but it's really unfortunate how he's been a part of this fiasco. Remember that he also wanted Obama primaried in 2012. Thank God that didn't happen.

LOL, of course they did.

I agree with you completely. I think the key thing here to Putin is "Anyone but Hillary" because she's probably the only person in the world that he hates more than Obama.

There was a poster on daily kos that would write these really bombastic anti-Bernie tirades essentially saying we needed to vote for Hillary because Bernie was a white supremacist, and anyone that supported him was a white supremacist, and there were others that did similar things calling Hillary a warmonger/corrupt/etc. many of those people are still at it, but I feel like the people recommending the posts and retweeting them may not have the best interests of the Democratic Party in mind.
 
I wonder how much of Putin's Russian oligarch money is tied up in Fox News and Rupert Murdoch.

I feel like the damage was done

It will take generations to undo the evil spell that consumes the minds of conservatives

Death to liberals at all costs mindlessly
 

Karkador

Banned
I am still confused by what Fusion GPS's role was.

They did oppo against Romney, but they were also hired to be anti-Magninsky, and they funded the Steele Dossier?

I'm listening to the hearing now, and it seems like the major contradiction here is that Fusion worked with Russia to place stories in the media against the Magnitsky Act, as WELL as hire Steele and produce the Trump dossier.

However, the Trump dossier is likely to be some sort of blackmail against Trump to coerce compliance about Magnitsky. Looking at it that way, it makes sense that Russia would be responsible for both.
 
I'm listening to the hearing now, and it seems like the major contradiction here is that Fusion worked with Russia to place stories in the media against the Magnitsky Act, as WELL as hire Steele and produce the Trump dossier.

However, the Trump dossier is likely to be some sort of blackmail against Trump to coerce compliance about Magnitsky. Looking at it that way, it makes sense that Russia would be responsible for both.

Fuck man this shit goes deep
 

Mael

Member
There was a poster on daily kos that would write these really bombastic anti-Bernie tirades essentially saying we needed to vote for Hillary because Bernie was a white supremacist, and anyone that supported him was a white supremacist, and there were others that did similar things calling Hillary a warmonger/corrupt/etc. many of those people are still at it, but I feel like the people recommending the posts and retweeting them may not have the best interests of the Democratic Party in mind.

If that's really the job of anti-Democrat/pro Russian people, we've been played HARD.
And even knowing about it I don't think we could have done much, it's incredible how effective that was.
 

Wilsongt

Member
I'm listening to the hearing now, and it seems like the major contradiction here is that Fusion worked with Russia to place stories in the media against the Magnitsky Act, as WELL as hire Steele and produce the Trump dossier.

However, the Trump dossier is likely to be some sort of blackmail against Trump to coerce compliance about Magnitsky. Looking at it that way, it makes sense that Russia would be responsible for both.

Makes sense.

Which means the Pisstapes DO exisr.
 
This is the event that Trump has been acting crazy to distract from.

This is it.

Everyone watch it and everyone share it. This should be mandatory for every American citizen.

This right here is the story not only of one of the most despicable criminal conspiracies and organizations of all time, but the story of Donald Trump, the 2016 election, and the entire Republican Party. We all know it. Mueller knows it.
 

KingV

Member
I'm listening to the hearing now, and it seems like the major contradiction here is that Fusion worked with Russia to place stories in the media against the Magnitsky Act, as WELL as hire Steele and produce the Trump dossier.

However, the Trump dossier is likely to be some sort of blackmail against Trump to coerce compliance about Magnitsky. Looking at it that way, it makes sense that Russia would be responsible for both.

The election meddling was trumps carrot and the dossier was the stick.
 

Jenov

Member
I'm listening to the hearing now, and it seems like the major contradiction here is that Fusion worked with Russia to place stories in the media against the Magnitsky Act, as WELL as hire Steele and produce the Trump dossier.

However, the Trump dossier is likely to be some sort of blackmail against Trump to coerce compliance about Magnitsky. Looking at it that way, it makes sense that Russia would be responsible for both.

Yep. Just heard this part with Browder and Graham in the Senate hearing. He said Russia would definitely play both sides to get an advantage in anyway they could. Making a blackmail piece about Trump to control him while also supporting Trump's candidacy is well within their strategy book.

Makes me think the dossier has a lot more truth to it than we know.
 

cwmartin

Member
Where's the gaffer that was very sure Russia was a "non issue"? I'd be interested to hear his thoughts on this.

I mean, the Magnitsky Act is law, the events taking place are not disputed, and we believe Russia is doing this to manipulate our entire election process, politics, and world influence.
 

Zolo

Member
Where's the gaffer that was very sure Russia was a "non issue"? I'd be interested to hear his thoughts on this.

I mean, the Magnitsky Act is law, the events taking place are not disputed, and we believe Russia is doing this to manipulate our entire election process, politics, and world influence.

Not just the US. They tried it with France as well.
 

BFIB

Member
In the grand scheme of things, this will likely go under the radar here, though it shouldn't. This really is eye opening.
 
This shit is nuts and makes so much sense that out of any theory I have heard, this makes the most sense. How can we make a difference though?
 
mueller bringing on board the world star finance lawyers makes more sense now too as this both require extreme finesse and knowledge of the illegalities, AND will be the biggest corruption case in history as far as i can tell
 

JustenP88

I earned 100 Gamerscore™ for collecting 300 widgets and thereby created Trump's America
Where's the gaffer that was very sure Russia was a "non issue"? I'd be interested to hear his thoughts on this.

I mean, the Magnitsky Act is law, the events taking place are not disputed, and we believe Russia is doing this to manipulate our entire election process, politics, and world influence.

It's been a while since we've had a "non-issue" of this magnitude. Definitely the greatest non-existential threat to America of my lifetime.
 
yeah like

What happens next

Clearly we are already maintaining a hard line stance on russia outside of Trump

What do we do about the Trump Administration

Just sit around and block him until the clock runs out?
 
Jesus.. It all really came together for me after reading his statement. It's always money that motivates but seeing the numbers and methods used to get it really grounds things in reality.
 

Karkador

Banned
One major takeaway from this is also that Putin's Russia is not necessarily interested in Trump or American conservatism, and this 'friendship' is about as one-sided as you can imagine.

Browder's assertion, under oath, is that Putin's Russia meddles and creates chaos without partisanship, and their goal here is to get the US to repeal this act that threatens the will of their entire mafia that's running the Russian government.

Even if Trump & Co. had zero intent to collude with Russia, they are fucking idiots for letting all of this happen. Best case scenario, they are being played like fools (and that's a generous one). I don't think they're that innocent, but I really can't see how ANYBODY can allow these people to stay in office with this knowledge.
 

midramble

Pizza, Bourbon, and Thanos
yeah like

What happens next

Clearly we are already maintaining a hard line stance on russia outside of Trump

What do we do about the Trump Administration

Just sit around and block him until the clock runs out?

Believe that's what Mueller is working on no?
 
One major takeaway from this is also that Putin's Russia is not necessarily interested in Trump or American conservatism, and this 'friendship' is about as one-sided as you can imagine.

Browder's assertion, under oath, is that Putin's Russia meddles and creates chaos without partisanship, and their goal here is to get the US to repeal this act that threatens the will of their entire mafia that's running the Russian government.

Even if Trump & Co. had zero intent to collude with Russia and have simply been played, they are fucking idiots for being played this hard. Best case scenario, they are being played like fools (and that's a generous one). I really can't see how ANYBODY can allow these people to stay in office.

Trump family HAD to know at the very least that what they were engaging in was shady

No way they are simply dumb dupes in all of this

even then their negligence to their country is damn near treason in itself
 

Linkura

Member
I'm listening to the hearing now, and it seems like the major contradiction here is that Fusion worked with Russia to place stories in the media against the Magnitsky Act, as WELL as hire Steele and produce the Trump dossier.

However, the Trump dossier is likely to be some sort of blackmail against Trump to coerce compliance about Magnitsky. Looking at it that way, it makes sense that Russia would be responsible for both.
Holy fuck.

Pee pee tapes are definitely real.
 

Jenov

Member
One major takeaway from this is also that Putin's Russia is not necessarily interested in Trump or American conservatism, and this 'friendship' is about as one-sided as you can imagine.

Browder's assertion, under oath, is that Putin's Russia meddles and creates chaos without partisanship, and their goal here is to get the US to repeal this act that threatens the will of their entire mafia that's running the Russian government.

Even if Trump & Co. had zero intent to collude with Russia and have simply been played, they are fucking idiots for being played this hard. Best case scenario, they are being played like fools (and that's a generous one). I really can't see how ANYBODY can allow these people to stay in office.

We really need Mueller to come through with concrete charges backing all of this.
 

Xando

Member
Not sure what the big shock is.

This is literally how the kremlin has been working in eastern europe for atleast 15 years.
 

midramble

Pizza, Bourbon, and Thanos
Not sure what the big shock is.

This is literally how the kremlin has been working in eastern europe for atleast 15 years.

It being condensed into a short linear story with references to immediate events that are in the daily news.

Also the concise representation of scale.
 

Guy.brush

Member
200 billion $ in personal, illegal gains from state sanctioned protection money scheme.

TWO

HUNDRED

BILLION

DOLLARS

Guy is the biggest kleptocrat that every lived. he can finance all the Farages, Le Pen's, Manaforts and Petry's of the World out of pocket change.
Dismantling the West as a happy side effect of him trying to safeguard his ill gotten gains. It is pure win-win for him, he must chuckle sovietly all day long.
 

Zolo

Member
yeah like

What happens next

Clearly we are already maintaining a hard line stance on russia outside of Trump

What do we do about the Trump Administration

Just sit around and block him until the clock runs out?

There's a reason a bill's currently in the process that limits Trump's ability to lift sanctions.
 

Karkador

Banned
I'm wondering, if Russia does have some kind of destructive dirt on Trump (such as the stuff in the dossier, if not more), at what point do they play that card?

If their objective is solely to get this act repealed and secure Putin's power at home, you can't play it too soon as long as Trump is in power, it's the only chance they've got.

They could watch the fucking circus over here burn half the country to the ground, they could possibly even watch Trump's family get hauled away to jail as long as somebody gets around to repealing the one thing they care about.
 

Xando

Member
It being condensed into a short linear story with references to immediate events that are in the daily news.

Also the concise representation of scale.

I mean i could see how it is a bit suprising to americans but it's kinda naive to think putin wouldn't try to create chaos and lobby for his gain in the US when their inofficial manifesto literally describes this.
 

Morrigan Stark

Arrogant Smirk
This is a better movie plot than most political thrillers I've seen, holy shit. O_O

Are you implying that Bernie was in on this? I mean yes, it's true that the Russian campaign to smear Hillary wouldn't have worked without Bernie there to cast her as a corrupt Wall Street shill but... Hmm... I can't remember the point I was trying to make now.
Dude c'mon, that act was voted on in what, 2010, 2012? Long before the primary. I don't know why Bernie voted against it, but that kind of ridiculous accusatory speculation helps no one.

Summed up for those not wanting to read.

or

18 Steps to Crazy

1) Bill Browder does 4 billion investment in Russia and finds Oligarchs stealing from his investments

2) In 2000 Bill is helped by Putin to fight this corruption.

3) 2003, Putin takes down the top kingpin making an example of him. Other oligarchs ask how to avoid the same fate. Putin responds "50% cut... directly to me"

4) 2005 Bill's anti corruption support not only stops, he is declared a state threat. Office is raided by state. Hires lawyer Sergei Magnitsky to investigate.

5) Magnitsky discovers assets were transferred to mafioso. Bill reports this to the state to get some justice.

6) 2008 Magnitsky is arrested after testifying against those that took the assets by the people who took the assets.

7) For a year Magnitsky is put through Ivan Denisovich style hell (but worse) to try to get him to confess HE stole the assets.

8) Magnitsky's health deteriorates to the point he needs surgery. Gets sent to a place to do so. That place is a chained isolation room. The surgery is 8 riot guards beating him to death. At age 37 he leaves behind a wife and two children.

10) Bill ,vowing justice, goes to America to tell his story to Benjamin Cardin and John McCain. This sets up the Magnitsky Act (Russian sanctions freezing assets of those involved).

11) 2012 Obama signs Magnitsky Act into law

12) Putin is pissed (apparently because his money is tied up in these assets). Responds by banning American adoption of sick Russian orphans.

13) Article then mentions Putin apparently has 200 billion in dirty funds and that money is kept in the west and no longer can secure impunity to other oligarchs resulting in a keen interest to shut down the Magnitsky Act.

14) Boris Nemtsov campaigns for the Magnitsky Act. 2015 he is murdered outside the kremlin

15) Boris protege Vladimir Kara-Murza also campaigns. 2016 is poisoned and almost dies.

16) Nikolai Gorokhov lawyers for Magnitsky's mother. Is thrown off a building. Survives.

17) Bill constantly getting death threats.

18) Natalia Veselnitskaya (lawyer that met with Trump Jr) and friends run massive anti-Magnitsky repeal campaign. Smearing Magnitsky's name, trying to make him look like a criminal, and trying to remove his name from the Act. They have not registered as foreign agents and Bill is trying to rectify that while bringing this story to light.

Let me know if I missed anything dire

Thank you, stealing this for the inevitable "tl;dr give me a summary plz".
 

midramble

Pizza, Bourbon, and Thanos
What happens when a mafia state is backed into a corner?

Revolution really on the table for a superpower in this day in age?

Surreal.

I mean i could see how it is a bit suprising to americans but it's kinda naive to think putin wouldn't try to create chaos and lobby for his gain in the US when their inofficial manifesto literally describes this.

You're right. I don't think anyone is "surprised". Everyone already kinda knows this is happening. I think just having it mapped out in such concise detail like this is what is knocking the wind out of people. Presented this way, it's really hard to look away. Really cutting into my work attention actually.
 

JustenP88

I earned 100 Gamerscore™ for collecting 300 widgets and thereby created Trump's America
I mean i could see how it is a bit suprising to americans but it's kinda naive to think putin wouldn't try to create chaos and lobby for his gain in the US when their inofficial manifesto literally describes this.

Uh, I don't think anybody here is experiencing an "omg Putin is trying to dick around with our democracy" revelation here. This statement is important because of how it spells out the fine details and tightly wraps a bow around that whole Trump Jr meeting. A large portion of the screenplay for the film that will be made about this 10 years from now could be taken from this statement. "We were just talking about adoptions."

Dude c'mon, that act was voted on in what, 2010, 2012? Long before the primary. I don't know why Bernie voted against it, but that kind of ridiculous accusatory speculation helps no one.

I think Putin might beg to differ with the bolded lol.
 
Thread title definitely ain't wrong. The whole thing definitely is a must read. Puts it all together in a neat, concise format concerning why all this Russia stuff is anything but a nothingburger. Nothing I hadn't heard about in bits and pieces here and there, but putting it all together like that definitely makes it a must read.
 

BFIB

Member
If Putin does have all that money tied up here, then it would be safe to assume that he not only has dirt on Trump, but possibly a lot of other people.

Unreal......
 
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