MOSCOW (Sputnik) — US legislation on the registration of foreign agents requires that persons acting in the interests of other states periodically submit information about their activities, including financial documentation, to the Department of Justice.
According to the Washington Free Beacon news site, which gathered such documentation, in the first quarter of 2016, Tony Podesta, brother of former chairman of Clinton's campaign John Podesta, received $20,000 from Russia's largest bank Sberbank to "clarify the scope of sanctions imposed by Executive Order 13660."
This order was signed by then US President Barack Obama in March 2014 to block "property of certain persons contributing to the situation in Ukraine." Podesta, who donated at least $260,000 to Clinton's campaign, was paid $170,000 by Sberbank for his services throughout 2016.
Another DC-based lobbying company with ties to Russia is Capitol Counsel, which cooperated with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). Partners the company David Jones and Richard Sullivan transferred more than $1.3 million to the accounts of Clinton headquarters.
The publication took place amid media reports on the alleged contacts between Donald Trump presidential campaign and Moscow, a claim denied by both Moscow and Trump. The first hearing of the US House Intelligence Committee to investigate the allegations of Russian interference in the US 2016 election as well as connections between Trump, his associates, and Russia will take place later in the day.
