Putin Pals Panic As Washington Readies "Official Oligarch" List

"If you're a Russian oligarch, you don't want to be on [this list]," warned Alan Kartashkin, a Debevoise partner in Moscow.

The 'list' that Kartashian refers to is derived from the U.S. law, which Trump grudgingly signed on Aug. 2 after it passed Congress with a veto-proof margin, instructs the Treasury, together with the State Department and intelligence agencies, to identify officials and oligarchs as determined by “their closeness to the Russian regime and their net worth.”

The report, due within 180 days of the law’s signing, must include “indices of corruption with respect to those individuals” and any foreign assets they may have.

And that deadline is looming - January 29th.

 

https://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/20180112_putin.png

US lawmakers expect the list to provide a basis for future punitive actions against Russia.

“Because of the nervousness that the Russian business community is facing, a number of oligarchs are already beginning to wind back businesses, treating them as if they are already designated, to stay ahead of it,” said Daniel Tannebaum, head of Pricewaterhousecoopers LLP’s global financial sanctions unit. He advises a handful of wealthy Russian individuals and some businesses who he declined to identify.

The list has also become a headache within Treasury, where some officials are concerned it will be conflated with sanctions, a person familiar with the matter said. Treasury officials are considering keeping some portions of the report classified -- which the law allows -- and issuing it in the form of a letter from a senior official, Sigal Mandelker, instead of releasing it through the Office of Foreign Assets Control, which issues sanctions. That would help distinguish it from separate lists of Russians subject to U.S. economic penalties, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“You’re going to have people getting shamed. It’s a step below a sanction because it doesn’t actually block any assets, but has the same optics as sanctions -- you’re on a list of people who are engaged in doing bad things,” said Erich Ferrari, who founded Ferrari & Associates in Washington and has helped people get removed from the sanctions designation list.

As Bloomberg concludes, the list’s impact will depend on how it’s released, said Adam Smith, a former senior adviser in Treasury’s sanctions unit and now a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Washington.

The law is “written in a way that it allows mischief if the administration wanted to go a different way,” Smith said . “If the president wanted to provide little or a lot and be very selective, he has the ability to do that.”

While the U.S. may be succeeding in making life difficult for some of Putin’s closest allies, Bloomberg reports that’s not turning into pressure on him to change course, according to Olga Kryshtanovskaya, a sociologist who studies the ruling elite at the Russian Academy of Sciences.

“You can’t be here and have a conflict with him,” Kryshtanovskaya said.

“So if the West thinks they can topple Putin with this, they won’t.”

Among business tycoons, concern about the new sanctions list is showing up only as timid reluctance among some to be seen prominently at Kremlin events, said one, insisting on anonymity.

Comments

YUNOSELL Jan 12, 2018 9:51 AM Permalink

If you want to multiply the list by 100x, just add on all the criminal American oligarchs.

People around the world must be getting sick of the hypocrisy. After 2008 crisis, US should have had to clean up their corrupt oligarchy just like any other developing nation would have been forced to do, but they only pretended to by the IMF, and now 10 years later these are the consequences with unhappy countries blow back and now we all are forced to suffer from this.

Moe-Monay nmewn Jan 12, 2018 10:10 AM Permalink

Sure Russia has some corruption.  But what has been coming out of Putin's mouth has been pure gold.  I was caught by surprise on that.  The guy is really something on walking a line that avoids war so far in spite of our Deep State doing its best to create one.

Still in shock that when I compared Putin with Obama and the American president came up wanting.  Never never never never Ever ever ever ever thought I would live to see it.

In reply to by nmewn

BlindMonkey Moe-Monay Jan 12, 2018 10:28 AM Permalink

Preach Brother Moe.  I was a cold-war sub guy that slept with my feet on a Trident missile tube for 6 years.  If you would have told me then that in the '10s I would consider the Russian President the most honest, Christian and peaceful leader on the world stage I would have laughed and puched you in the mouth. My....how times have changed. 

In reply to by Moe-Monay

Offthebeach YUNOSELL Jan 12, 2018 10:28 AM Permalink

This nation was made by oligarchs.   John Hancock,  Ben Franklin, George Washington were the three wealthiest Colonialist.   Franklin when Ambassador to France was near daily doing buisness and trading on the London exchange.  ( No reason he shouldn't profit, nor go broke in case of Crown victory. ) 

Anyway, Warren Buffet on the list?

In reply to by YUNOSELL

Moe-Monay Infinite QE Jan 12, 2018 10:14 AM Permalink

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

Take a look at what they did to David Irving just for contradicting some of the details of the Holocaust(tm).  ( ever notice how it is spelled with a capital H ??? )   In just one episode of research the guy reads 80000 pages of documentation from WW2.  He's seriously interested in the truth but that is of no matter to those that rule.  

In reply to by Infinite QE

small axe Jan 12, 2018 9:59 AM Permalink

Because all the bad oligarchs who game the global financial system live in Moscow, not New York City or Washington DC ...

Sanctions against the US power elite would be ten times more valuable and enforceable, but impossible of course for obvious reasons of swamp maintenance.

Joke's on us.

Grimaldus Jan 12, 2018 10:13 AM Permalink

I don't believe this shit. When will f-ing progressives stop their holier-than-thou insanity?

The entire FEDGOV is corrupt and who cares what Russians do? The USA and Russia are natural allies. We should be doing good business.

Looks like nobody in DC carries a copy of the US Constitution in their back pocket. If they did then we would not be suffering from this progressive marxist insanity.

 

To have a crime, you must first have a progressive.

 

 

 

 

 

Grimaldus

TheEndIsNear Jan 12, 2018 10:15 AM Permalink

I was once  told that if you think everyone else in the world is insane, then you are actually the one who is insane. I'm ready for the funny farm. This article is the last straw. I just read on Drudge that Tequila is healthy, there is a "smartphone" application for legally binding one night stands, and GM is coming out with a new car without a steering wheel or brake pedals.

Please show me to my padded cell, or I mean "safe space".

Son of Captain Nemo Jan 12, 2018 10:32 AM Permalink

Ooooooh!.... REALLY SCARED (https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-01-11/russia-secretly-simulated-ful…) (https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-01-11/stunning-photos-inside-russia…)

So this is where all of the World's most important Gold is stored?...

Meanwhile back in North America...

The Bitcoin/Ripple/Ethereum "electroplated" slugs are being shipped from Hong Kong, Taipei and South Korea where they are no longer WANTED!!!

Booo!!!

P.S.

Does President Kushner believe that Russia is going to hand over all of their "Guld" as a ransom demand for this little "LIST"?!!!

BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!