Thread by @dcpoll

Special counsel eyeing Russians granted unusual access to Trump inauguration parties. Several donated enough [$1M] to Trump's Inaugural to qualify for “Candlelight Dinner” tickets: Victor Vekselberg, Leonard Blavatnik & Alexander Mashkevitch [!!!]
#Maddow abcn.ws/2KeNhtk

FYI: Russian mafia boss Alexander Mashkevitch [via 9-11 Comm Report], who attended Trump's Inaugural dinner [for $1M donation], was a secret Bayrock/Trump Soho investor & owner of the "hooker yacht" which led to Bayrock owner Tevfik Arif's arrest.
#Maddow

ICYMI: At the time of Erik Prince's ill-fated Seychelles meeting with Crown Prince MBZ & Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev, Russian mafia boss Alexander Mashkevich [Bayrock/Trump investor who attended inaugural] was also on the island to meet with MBZ.
#Maddow

These powerful Russians, including one who's since been sanctioned by Treasury, were ushered into invitation-only inaugural events typically reserved for top donors & close political allies and given unprecedented access to Trump’s inner circle.
#Maddow

At least 1 Russian oligarch was ushered into Statuary Hall for the traditional Inaugural Day luncheon, an event typically out of reach to donors & even most members of Congress. “It’s incredibly unusual, particularly if they were going to be within arm’s reach of POTUS."
#Maddow

Several Russians donated enough [$1M] to Trump's Inaugural to qualify for tickets to a “Candlelight Dinner" on inaugural eve: Viktor Vekselberg & Intrater who were seated next to Michael Cohen [Intrater’s firm, Columbus Nova, signed Cohen to a $1M "consulting" contract.
#Maddow

At one dinner, [paying] Russian guests dined alongside Trump’s closest advisors: Tom Barrack, Carl Ichan, Steve Bannon, Alexander Nix, and now-indicted Mike Flynn & Paul Manafort.
Trump's inaugural raked in a $107M from donors linked to Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE & Qatar.
#Maddow