Thread by @HoarseWisperer

So, a bloke we'll call "Brian from Dublin" just put me on the scent of something pretty interesting about Putin's comments in Helsinki last week...

Seems like Vladi may have been dangling a couple of Trump kompromat Easter eggs in plain sight and we all missed them...

1/

In their press conf., Putin made a comment about an arch-nemeses - an American investor named Bill Browder.

Browder ran afoul of Putin by discovering and reporting massive corruption by Putin cronies.
salon.com/2018/07/21/bil…

2/

In 2009, Putin had Browder's lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, murdered.

In response, the U.S. passed the Magnitsky Act - which imposes severe restrictions on wealthy Putin pals

It basically sequesters them in Russia and keeps them from doing business or owning property in the West.
3/

As sanctions go, it was a fairly masterful bill.

It hits Putin hard by slapping his cronies where it hurts the most: in their wallets and lifestyle.

Gone were the days when a Putin pal could grab a jet to the chateau he had bought with illicit money.
washingtonpost.com/news/democracy…
4/

Putin rules as an authoritarian among oligarchs but he nonetheless worries when the corrupt wealthy class might be unhappy enough to start thinking about a Putin-free future.

So, Putin hates the Magnitsky Act... and he wants it repealed... badly.

5/

In fact, it is widely understood the repeal of the Magnitsky Act is one of Putin's top objectives...

...and it is widely speculated that Trump's potential willingness to help out there was likely one of the primary reasons for Putin's backing of Trump.

6/

The infamous meeting in Trump Tower is now widely believed to have included discussion of a repeal of the Magnitsky Act as the quid pro quo for helping the Trump Campaign with dirt on Hillary.

So, bear all of this in mind for a second while I add a second vector...

7/

Now, let's rewind to the mid-2000's.

Putin and his kleptocratic pals were flush with money to launder and there was Donald J. Trump, the serial business failure with nowhere to turn for capital.

The "King of Debt" couldn't get a loan... but suddenly found a lot of cash.

8/

Suddenly, the guy scraping for lenders had money to burn... and burn it he did to the tune of $400 million in cash purchases.

Somebody had a lot of cash they wanted to "invest in real estate" (translation: launder) via Trump.

9/
slate.com/news-and-polit…

So now, let's bring this all together...

In Helsinki last week, Putin blurted out what sounded like a complete non-sequitur to everyone in the room and media.

Read the quote...

10/

Let's parse the bread crumbs:

1) The Magnitsky Act
2) Corruption
3) $400 million dollars
4) Funneled to a candidate

11/

Everyone, including me, read that quote for the plain meaning. What was this alleged $400 mil. donation to Hillary?

Well, the Kremlin promptly walked that all back and said Putin had misspoken.

12/

Here's the thing, Putin is not known for "misspeaking"... and it's rather curious that he just so happened to link together in the same paragraph:

- Sanctions he wants lifted
- $400 million in dirty money
- A presidential candidate

Umm... those look like Easter Eggs to me.

13/

While Infowars and the Hannitysphere ran off chasing phantom Hillary corruption and the rest of the media fell agog at what Trump said before and after, I think we missed the big dangle.

Putin dangled Trump's own kompromat right there in public...

14/

washingtonpost.com/news/politics/…

Putin taunted Trump by mentioning $400 mil in laundered cash that went to a presidential candidate...

...and also reminded him he could pay his debt on Magnitsky repeal or the next time, he might not "misspeak".

15/

Now I want to go through Putin's full remarks. I wouldn't be surprised if there were other Easter eggs in there... Tacit refs to what he has on Trump and what he expects in return.

I think The Godfather sent a little message... and Trump got it loud and clear.

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