Emails reveal Trump associate promised Putin support on potential Moscow tower
The New York Times revealed Monday that during the presidential campaign, a business associate of President Trump's pushed a potential real estate deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, asserting a Trump Tower in Moscow would "get Donald elected."
The Times acquired a series of emails between Felix Sater and Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, stemming from 2015. Sater told Cohen that he could win Putin's support for a Trump Tower in Moscow, which Sater said would boost then-candidate Trump's political prospects. "Our boy can become president of the U.S.A. and we can engineer it," Sater wrote to Cohen. "I will get all of Putin's team to buy in on this."
The Washington Post had revealed the existence of the messages between Sater and Cohen on Sunday, but did not reveal their contents. Additionally, it remains unclear how aware or involved Trump was. The Trump Organization and investors signed a letter of intent, but the project stalled and was dropped at the end of January 2016.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Cohen told the Times in a statement that he considered Sater's boasts of influence with Putin to be simple "salesmanship." "I ultimately determined that the proposal was not feasible and never agreed to make a trip to Russia," Cohen said. In a statement Monday, the Trump Organization said: "To be clear, the Trump Organization has never had any real estate holdings or interests in Russia."
Read more at The New York Times.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
-
US charges Indian tycoon with bribery, fraud
Speed Read Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by US prosecutors for his role in a $265 million scheme to secure solar energy deals
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists approve contract, end strike
Speed Read The company's largest union approved the new contract offer, ending a seven-week strike
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US economy still strong in final preelection report
Speed Read It grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate from July through September
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists reject deal, continue strike
Speed Read The rejection came the same day Boeing reported a $6.2 billion quarterly loss
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ports reopen after dockworkers halt strike
Speed Read The 36 ports that closed this week, from Maine to Texas, will start reopening today
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homes
Speed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'
Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bid
Speed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published