Act On Democracy Profile picture
May 9, 2018 9 tweets 6 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
Thanks to Stormy & @MichaelAvenatti, we now have a much greater understanding of how Trump's Michael Cohen-based #PayToPlay funnel works.

It looks a lot like Cohen was selling access & influence.

Graphics h/t @frontera_julie

#TrumpRussia - #KleptoWatch💰

THREAD 1/9
2/9 Avenatti's investigation has uncovered numerous payments to Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, from individuals & entities seeking favor from or access to President Trump. #PayToPlay #FollowTheMoney

Executive Summary: dropbox.com/s/2l7qztjakjpq…
3/9 Viktor Vekelsberg is a Putin-connected oligarch recently questioned by #Mueller as part of the #TrumpRussia probe.

$500K transferred between Vekelsberg's US subsidiary company & Cohen raise significant questions about Putin's influence on U.S. policy.
4/9 Elliott Broidy claimed Cohen represented him in a $1.6m settlement w/a Playboy Playmate. He also stands to personally make $10s of millions if DOJ drops a bribery case against a Malaysian state investment fund.

Avenatti's investigation turned up $187.5K in payments to Cohen.
5/9 In addition to the unusual payments Broidy made to Cohen for the type of work Cohen claims he did, there is a significant question as to whether Broidy may be intentionally claiming credit for the affair to protect the president & buy influence. nymag.com/daily/intellig…
6/9 AT&T paid Cohen $200K while Trump was publicly attacking its proposed merger with Time Warner, CNN's parent company, which would need DOJ approval.

arstechnica.com/tech-policy/20…
7/9 Novartis paid Cohen nearly $400K in 4 structured transactions of $99,980 each.

Shortly after the final payment was made, Novartis' CEO got a private dinner w/the president.

Trump has sway over decisions regarding drug regulation & pricing. #PayToPlay biospace.com/article/unique…
8/9 Korea Aerospace paid Cohen $150K while simultaneously vying for a multi-trillion dollar contract with the US Airforce, a decision that Trump has a great deal of influence over as Commander in Chief. #PayToPlay businesskorea.co.kr/news/articleVi…
9/9 We still have limited info about both $$ in and $$ out of Michael Cohen's account.

Avenatti says far more cash flowed into Cohen's LLC than has been revealed & we don't know where it went after.

Cohen is now under tremendous pressure. #FollowTheMoney washingtonpost.com/news/politics/…

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More from @ActOnDemocracy

Oct 1, 2018
REALLY BIG DEAL:

The FBI may be finished with its probe of #Kavanaugh by MONDAY MORNING!!!

That's tomorrow.

The White House & accomplices in the Senate, including Grassley & McConnell, want to pretend they've done a real probe.

We need calls now... nytimes.com/2018/09/30/us/…
#CallToAction:

We have a democracy, w/independent institutions, norms & importantly, checks/balances.

But this is the kind of sham probe that occurs in de facto 1-party autocracies (like Russia.)

Call & demand a real probe ASAP. Race against the clock.

theloyalopposition.net/daily-ctas/imm…
Graphics h/t @frontera_julie.
Read 4 tweets
Aug 23, 2018
The story of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election is a complex one with many moving parts. Russian oligarchs & operatives work together using their wealth, influence & connections to advance Putin’s agenda.

Here are 5 key figures you should be aware of.

THREAD
Aras Agalarov is “Russia’s Trump”—a real estate mogul close to Putin.

Agalarov hosted Trump’s 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow, where his pop star son, Emin performed. They have introduced Trump to many Russian oligarchs & have carried messages between Trump & Putin.
For more background on Agalarov:

themoscowproject.org/players/arasag…
Read 13 tweets
Aug 13, 2018
#ManafortTrial Day 9 (sorry for delay)

✅Prosecution filing asks Judge Ellis to correct improper statement.

✅Docs & testimony suggest Federal Savings Bank chairman approved $16M in loans to secure a job in Trump admin.

✅D.C. filing confirms Gates’ ongoing cooperation.

1/5
#ManafortTrial Day 9 cont.

Fed. Savings Bank Senior VP Raico’s testimony:

✅Loan process was unusually fast.

✅Bank chairman Steve Calk’s involvement unlike any other loan.

✅Loans granted on Manafort’s terms, even after bank’s president suggested ending negotiations.

2/5
#ManafortTrial Day 9 cont.

Raico’s testimony:

✅Calk let Manafort know he wanted Trump admin role & Manafort asked for Calk’s resume.

✅11/11/2016- call from Calk: “[I’m possibly] up for some role in [Trump admin. Can you ask Manafort?]”

✅11/16/2016- $9.5M loan closed.

3/5
Read 5 tweets
Aug 9, 2018
#ManafortTrial Day 7:

Summary:

✅Gates testimony ends.

✅Testimony from FBI accountant -CPA & Certified Fraud Examiner M. Magionos

✅Testimony from IRS agent M. Welch (admitted as expert witness)

✅Judge Ellis: "Judges should be patient...I'm not.”

✅8 witnesses left.

1/4
#ManafortTrial Day 7 cont.

Gates testimony:

✅In 2014 FBI interview about Yankovych, he disclosed offshore accounts but not hidden ones.

✅Manafort asked him to meet w/Lyovochkin (pro-Russia politician) re: payments.

✅"No doubt at all [no plea agreement if he lies]."

2/4
#ManafortTrial Day 7 cont.

FBI accountant Magionos:

✅31 foreign accounts owned by Manafort, Gates or Kilimnik (pro-Russia politician).

✅Emails from Manafort re: international wire xfers.

✅Paid >$60M via foreign accounts.

✅FARA filing inconsistent w/tax returns.

3/4
Read 4 tweets
Aug 8, 2018
#ManafortTrial Day 6:

Gates testimony:

✅Pro-Russian Party of Regions politicians (Kolesnikov & Lovochkin) paid Manafort millions via disguised Cypriot accounts.

✅Documentary evidence suggests Manafort controlled foreign accounts.

✅Repeatedly directed to defraud banks.

1/5
#ManafortTrial Day 6 cont.

Gates testified:

✅At Manafort's direction, he fabricated invoices due to offshore banking rule requiring the invoice to have the Manafort-controlled entity name instead of Manafort's.

✅Directed to hide international wire xfers from bookkeeper.

2/5
#ManafortTrial Day 6 cont.

Gates testified:

✅Manafort's prepared agendas suggest Manafort had key role on tax & bill strategy.

✅2016 emails from Manafort show he altered P&L statement received from bookkeeper by “about $4.2 M” to secure loan from Federal Savings Bank.

3/5
Read 5 tweets
Aug 7, 2018
#ManafortTrial Day 5:

Summary:

✅Manafort’s attorneys attempted to show that complicated finances resulted in unintentional errors & Gates was the criminal mastermind.

✅Testimony from senior special agent w/FINCEN, at Treasury.

✅Gates testified.

✅New clashes w/Judge.

1/6
#ManafortTrial Day 5 cont.

Laporta (CPA) testified:

✅Didn't go to Manafort re: Gates suspicions because: “it was [usually] clear Manafort was aware of what was going on.”

✅Knowing that income can’t be disguised as a loan doesn’t require expertise nor is it complicated.

2/6
#ManafortTrial Day 5 cont.

Paula Liss, certified fraud examiner/money laundering specialist testimony:

✅Judge limited scope to questions agreed to during sidebar.

✅Though required by law, neither Manafort nor his wife filed reports of foreign bank accounts from '11-'14.

3/6
Read 6 tweets

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