FBI and Russian Mob Investigation and Felix Sater
Preventing the Russian mafia from expanding its foothold in the United States has been one of the Bureau’s top priorities. In fact======= it might be the FBI’s most important function apart from its role in the fight against terrorism.
The FBI now apparently finds itself confronted with similar issues: Is its investigation of the mob so crucial to national security that it outweighs the public’s right to know about Trump.
Going public about Trump could have exposed the high-value, long-running FBI operation against an organized crime network headquartered in the former Soviet Union.
Much of the evidence, justifiably, is highly classified to protect---- sources and methods ------and in particular to protect individuals who have helped one or another of the agencies involved.”
The Russian mob should also not be confused with a mere crime syndicate.
It is an organization comprised of state actors, oligarchs, and specific groups of individuals working collectively with the authority of the Russian government — a “mafia state.” At times, it is difficult to tell where the mob ends and the government begins.
Right from the earliest days of Trump Tower, in 1983, some of the choicest condominiums, including those in the 10 floors immediately below the future president’s own triplex apartment, went to a rogue gallery of criminals and their associates.
Thus, by the early 1990s, both the arrival of Russian organized crime (Semion Mogilevich & Vyacheslav Ivankov) in the US and the strange attraction of Trump properties for Russian mobsters were on the FBI’s radar.
Many of Trump Towers occupants have been targets of major investigations, others have been surveilled, and yet others have served as informants.
As Trump lost access to traditional lines of credit, his desperate need for financing led to sources that are murky, at best, including monies traceable back to the former Soviet Union — a circumstance that may explain Trump’s refusal to release his tax returns.
To alleviate his financial problems, Trump came in contact with a Moscow/NYC based firm named Bayrock and Bayrock became one of the most important links between Trump and big-money laundering sources from the former Soviet Union
Many Soviet functionaries transitioned to successful careers in market capitalism and made enormous profits by pilfering the moribund Soviet state, and such funds were best laundered and moved abroad for safekeeping and