Trump's Commerce Secretary Owns Stake in Russian Companies While He Oversees Potential Sanctions
by mail@democracynow.org (Democracy Now!) from Democracy Now! on (#37CXA)
The Paradise Papers revealed Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is conducting business with Russian President Vladimir Putin's son-in-law through a shipping venture in Russia. According to the leaked documents, Ross owns a stake through offshore entities in Navigator Holdings, a shipping firm that receives millions of dollars from a company owned by Putin's close allies. On Monday, Ross told the BBC he had declared his interests earlier this year when he joined Trump's administration, and had done nothing wrong. "This Trump administration is responsible for imposing sanctions on various Russians, some of whom are involved in this company, Sibur," responds our guest Jon Swaine of The Guardian. "That's a pretty big conflict."