Follow the money

In 2009, Russian lawyer and auditor Sergei Magnitsky died in a Moscow prison after investigating fraud involving Russian tax officials. In 2012 the US congress passed a law called the Maganitsky designed to punish those thought to be responsible for Maganitsky’s death. In 2013 the names of 18 Russians who were to be adversely affected by this act were made public. Russian retaliated by denying any more Russian children to be adopted by US citizens. Next Russian banned 18 Americans from entering Russia. In 2016 Russian officials set up a meeting with Trump representatives to discuss the changes in the law regarding adoption. This is not something of interest to the Trump people but mention was made of some damaging information about Hilary Clinton so the meeting was set up. It turns out that there was no information about Clinton and no desire to discuss the adoption issue. The covert purpose was to discuss the Maganitsky law. The key question is what is so important about this law? The law is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer and auditor who in 2008 untangled a dense web of tax fraud and graft involving 23 companies and a total of $230 million linked to the Kremlin and individuals close to the government. Magnitsky was the target of investigations, arrested by authorities and kept in jail without charges. He was beaten and later died under mysterious circumstances in jail just days before his possible release. It is reported that Putin is worth $200 billion and gets most of his money by providing favors to various wealthy Russian businessmen. The background goes back to the Helsinki process of the 1970’s. This was a policy set up to show the linkage between interest and values meaning this if a country is accused of human rights violations other countries can hold them responsible. Part of the Obama reset with Russia was to abandon this relationship. This mistake gave the green light to Putin to begin mistreatment of individuals to allow for profit. The money these oligarchs make with their illegal operations is kept in banks in the US and other western countries and part of the Magnitsky act freezes these accounts. It is this that the Russians are trying to get the congress to undo and they have numerous lobbyist working the congress on this repeal.