If you want an incredible insight into Putin, the history behind the Magnitsky Act, and the meeting Jr and Manafort wook with the Russian attorney, listen to the latest podcast episode of Stay Tuned with Preet Bharara. Preet is the former US Attorney for the Southern District of NY (Manhattan), that Trump famously spoke to several times then fired, when Trump realized Preet put the Constitution before a wannabe dictator. He interviewed Bill Browder, the man who hired Sergei Magnitsky as his attorney, leading to Putin torturing and killing Magnitsky. As much as I've read about Putin over the years, and about this situation, it was mind blowing hearing the story from Browder.
Too Long, Won't Listen: Browder was founder and CEO of the the largest portfolio investor in Russia. Browder uncovered corruption in some of the largest Russian corporations, namely oligarchs and the highest level government officials stealing $100s of millions from the corps. Browder was smart enough to flee Russia and pull out all of his assets before Putin detained him and seized his assets. He was actually detained at the airport on his way out, and at the last minute, they "deported' him by soldiers placing him on his flight. He left his company open for some reason, and Russian officials forged documents and laundered huge amounts of money under his corps name, then issued a warrant for his arrest, and froze his US Visa through Interpol. Magnitsky was his lawyer, who uncovered the money laundering, so the detained him. In Russia, the govt can hold a suspect for 1 year without a trial. They tortured Magnitsky and tried to force him to sign false confessions. They refused to treat him when he developed gall stones, moving him to a horrendous prison with no medical care. When the prison feared he would die, they transferred him back to a prison with a medical facility, but that prison beat him to death with rubber hoses, as he was days away from the one year mark, and the right to a trial.
Browder lobbied Congress to pass the Magnitsky Act, which froze assets and prohibited travel to the US for some of the oligarchs and government officials Magnitsky and Browder exposed. Natalia Veselnitskaya, the lawyer Jr and Manafort met with, was in the US defending a Russian Oligarch for money laundering charges in the Southern District of NY (Preet Bharara was prosecuting, before he was fired, and the government made a shocking plea deal returning most of the money without an admission of guilt). She was also actively lobbying Congress to rescind the Magnitsky Act. Remember Jr's excuse that Veselnitskaya only discussed Russian adoptions? Putin banned Americans from adopting Russian children as a response to the Magnitsky Act, so this is a colossally stupid excuse by Jr, as it makes it really obvious she was there to lobby Trump to work to rescind the Magnitsky Act.
The sheer stupidity of Trump and all of his closest advisors is absolutely astounding. He runs his business and government like an organized crime family, but they are too stupid and brazenly arrogant to cover up their money laundering, bribery, and inside dealing. All of the money laundering in Trump Soho has to be part of Mueller's investigation at this point. Felix Sater and his work as a conduit between Trump and Putin and Trump and Kazakhstani crime bosses will also come out. Sadly, I think Trump may genuinely be stupid enough to avoid criminal charges, because he didn't knowingly launder money, he just stupidly takes all money thrown at him. Much like his vetting practice for his campaign and cabinet, he blindly does what people tell him.
An honest to God cult of personality - formed around a failed steak salesman.
-Pruitt
