President’s firm held talks to build Trump Tower in Moscow
THE controversy surrounding Donald Trump’s links with Russia intensified amid reports that his company was negotiating to build a Trump Tower in Moscow during the early stages of his presidential campaign.
The Trump Organization was involved in discussions over proposals for a tower in late 2015 and early 2016, the Washington Post reported.
Mr Trump announced his candidacy for the presidency in June 2015 and the plans were scrapped in January last year, shortly before the primaries began.
According to the paper, Michael Cohen, the Trump Organization’s executive vice-president, sent an email to Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov seeking his help in rescuing the stalled deal in January 2016.
Although the Trump Organization’s desire to build a Trump Tower in Russia dates back to the Nineties, as a candidate the billionaire denied repeatedly that he had business interests in the country.
The latest disclosures will fuel a belief among Mr Trump’s critics that his desire for a rapprochement with the Kremlin was driven commercially as well as politically.
A special counsel and the Senate Intelligence Committee are both investigating alleged Russian involvement in the presidential election.
According to the Washington Post, Mr Trump was urged to go to Moscow to promote the plans by Felix Sater, a Russian-born property developer. Although Mr Trump did not visit, Mr Putin did go out of his way to praise him in December 2015.
Both the White House and Mr Cohen declined to comment.