TRUMP HELPS PUTIN. AGAIN.
President Trump continues to please Putin. Last month, his administration removed sanctions from Putin’s “favorite industrialist,” the Russian aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska.
It wasn’t easy. In April, Deripaska and his companies were sanctioned along with others for Putin’s treacherous attack on our 2016 elections and other “malicious” acts. Republicans as well as Democrats applauded those sanctions.
In December, those same Republicans were needed to lift Deripaska’s sanctions. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin told them that in a negotiated deal, Deripaska’s wealth and influence would be “significantly diminished.” Still, many Senate Republicans balked but Mitch McConnell held together just enough Republicans to allow it.
Then things unraveled.
- The House rebuked Trump’s deal in a non-biding vote of 362 to 53 – including 136 Republicans.
- Then documents revealed that Mnuchin’s deal was not as harsh as advertised.
- Not only did the deal eliminate hundreds of millions of Deripaska’s debt, he retained control of his companies by simply shifting some stock to allies and his charitable foundation.
Senator Wyden and House Democrats last week demanded information from the Treasury about the sanction’s removal. Please tell your MOC to pursue the inquiries into Deripaska’s deal. Also, tell them you support HR 1 with its strong anticorruption measures.
ACTION ONE: CALL YOUR SENATORS
SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR WYDEN AND MERKLEY:
(Leave a message if you can’t get through)
For WYDEN: “My name is [–] and I live din [zip code]. I am calling to thank Sen. Wyden for taking the lead in investigating the latest gift Trump gave Putin, removing the sanctions on Putin’s friend, Oleg Deripaska. We need to know why Trump keeps helping Putin on sanctions, on Syria and on the nuclear arms treaty. Also, I support the anti-corruption measures in H.R. I and I hope the Senate will be able to pass something similar. Thank you.”
For MERKLEY: “My name is [–] and I live in [zip code]. I am calling to ask Sen. Merkley to support the investigations into Trump’s favors to Putin, especially by removing sanctions from Putin’s friend, Oleg Deripaska. We need to know why Trump keeps helping Putin on sanctions, on Syria and on the nuclear arms treaty. Also, I support the anti-corruption measures in H.R. I and I hope the Senate will be able to pass something similar. Thank you.”
CALL SENATOR MERKLEY
CALL SENATOR WYDEN
ACTION TWO: CALL YOUR HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES
Not sure who your U.S. Representative is? Find out here.
SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR REPRESENTATIVES:
(Leave a message if you can’t get through)
For ALL except WALDEN: “My name is [–] and I live in [zip code]. I am calling to ask Rep. [NAME] to support the House investigations into Trump’s favors to Putin, especially by removing sanctions from Putin’s friend, Oleg Deripaska. We need to know why Trump keeps helping Putin on sanctions, on Syria and on the nuclear arms treaty. Also, I support the anti-corruption measures in H.R. 1. Thank you.”
For WALDEN: “My name is [–] and I live in [zip code]. I am calling to ask Rep. Walden to I am calling to ask Rep. [NAME ] to support the House investigations into Trump’s favors to Putin, especially by removing sanctions from Putin’s friend, Oleg Deripaska. We need to know why Trump keeps helping Putin on sanctions, on Syria and on the nuclear arms treaty. This issue transcends party lines. Thank you.”
CALL Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Call Greg Walden (OR-02)
CALL BLUMENAUER (OR-03)
CALL PETER DEFAZIO (OR-04)
CALL Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
SOURCES:
NY Times 1/21/19: “Deripaska and Allies Could Benefit From Sanctions Deal, Document Shows” https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/21/us/politics/oleg-deripaska-russian-sanctions.html
Bloomberg 12/20/18: “How Deripaska’s Deal Means Cutting Stake But Keeping Influence” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-20/how-deripaska-s-deal-means-cutting-stake-but-keeping-influence
Bloomberg 2/2/19:” Putin Joins Trump in Finding Ways to Ease Deripaska’s Pain” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-03/putin-joins-trump-in-finding-ways-to-ease-deripaska-s-pain
The Hill 10/23/18: “Dem senator: Trump withdrawing from arms treaty a ‘gift to Putin’” https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/412847-dem-senator-trump-withdrawing-from-arms-control-treaty-a-gift-to-putin
Newsweek 1/24/19: “Trump Administration Neglects to Implement Required Russia Sanctions, Saying There’s ‘No Deadline’” https://www.newsweek.com/trump-required-russia-sanctions-no-deadline-1304549