More than enough smoke

Citizens need reassurance the Trump administration is not being blackmailed or unduly influenced by Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin. As Russian connections continue to surface there is great concern. Rarely have so many officials and insiders shown questionable relations with a hostile power.

Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions lied about talking to the Russians. Secretary of State and Exxon-Mobil leader Rex Tillerson’s ties to Putin and the Russian oil oligarchs are no secret. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross was vice chairman of the Bank of Cypress, thought to be the primary money-laundering bank for Russian oligarchs who previously used the Deutsche Bank, its parent, which was heavily fined by Germany and the United States. The stench is deplorable.

A pro-Moscow Ukranian lawmaker and businessman, Felix Sater, apparently joined President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen in drafting a peace plan to recognize Russia’s intervention in the Ukraine as rightful and advocated an end to the Obama administration’s sanctions.

Even Trump’s son-in-law admits to premature conversations with Russian officials. Other figures in Trump’s inner circle are tainted by Russian connections that necessitate an independent, non-partisan investigation as soon as possible.

This story was originally published April 17, 2017 at 2:20 PM with the headline "More than enough smoke."