Friday, May 12, 2017

"No" Income, with Some Exceptions

Lawyers for President Donald Trump said Friday that a review of his last 10 years of tax returns do not reflect “any income of any type from Russian sources,” with some exceptions. It’s the latest attempt by the president to tamp down concerns about any Russian ties amid an ongoing investigation of his campaign’s associates.

  TPM
WTF?  If there are exceptions, then it's not true the returns "do not reflect any income of any type from Russian sources."
In a letter released to the AP, the attorneys said there is no equity investment by Russians in entities controlled by Trump or debt owed by Trump to Russian lenders. But it did reflect some exceptions, including income from the 2013 Miss Universe pageant that was held in Moscow and a property sold to a Russian billionaire in 2008 for $95 million.

[...]

The White House said Trump asked his lawyers for the letter following a request from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., for information on any ties Trump might have to Russia. Graham leads one of the congressional committees investigating Russia’s interference in last year’s election.

[...]

The letter, written by attorneys Sheri Dillon and William Nelson from the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, simultaneously leaves open the possibility of other Russian ties while attempting to dismiss them.

[...]

The attorneys also write that over the last 10 years, it is likely that the Trump Organization sold or rented condos, or other products, that “could have produced income attributable to Russian sources.”

“With respect to this last exception, the amounts are immaterial,” the attorney wrote.
They'll need three months at a spa to unpretzel themselves.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

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