unintimidated pac
<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" /><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">access industries</font></div><div>730 5TH AVE 10000.00</div><div>
</div><div> 20TH FLOOR</div><div>
</div><div> Unintimidated PAC Inc.</div><div>10019-4105 Transaction ID : SA11.245 01463-1592 WINNETKA IL NY PEPPERELL N/A Transaction ID : SA11.2 60093-2323 Transaction ID : SA11.188 011023 1015000.00 82 Image# 201507319000485091 060606 161</div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><table width="99%" class="cellpadding5" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><tbody style="box-sizing: border-box;"><tr class="GridOdd" valign="bottom" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 9px; font-family: verdana, "ms sans serif", arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><td height="40" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 5px;"><a class="SmallText" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: underline; font-size: 10px;">ZIVKOVIC, ANITA MS.</a><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />WINNETKA, IL<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />60093</td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 5px;">None/Homemaker</td><td align="right" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 5px;">$2,700</td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 5px;">09/28/2015</td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 5px;">P</td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 5px;"><a href="https://www.campaignmoney.com/political/committees/dold-for-congress.asp?cycle=16" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">DOLD FOR CONGRESS - Republican</a></td></tr><tr class="GridEven" valign="bottom" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 9px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 187); font-family: verdana, "ms sans serif", arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><td height="40" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 5px;"><a class="SmallText" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: underline; font-size: 10px;">ZIVKOVIC, ANITA</a><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />WINNETKA, IL<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />60093</td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 5px;">N/A/Homemaker</td><td align="right" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 5px;">$10,000</td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 5px;">06/01/2015</td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 5px;">P</td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 5px;"><a href="https://www.campaignmoney.com/political/committees/unintimidated-pac-inc.asp?cycle=16" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">UNINTIMIDATED PAC INC</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">=</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"><a href="http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2017/jun/21/tweets/pro-putin-ukrainian-gave-scott-walker-1-million/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2017/jun/21/tweets/pro-putin-ukrainian-gave-scott-walker-1-million/</a></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><header class="articleheader" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><div id="sticky" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="art-block" style="margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><figcaption class="art-blockcaption" style="margin: 1em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> Gov. Scott Walker announces his run for president on July 13, 2015 at the Expo Center in Waukesha, Wis.] pix</font></figcaption></figure></div></header><div class="article__text" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">An anti-<a href="http://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">Donald Trump</a> Democratic strategist and fundraiser has attacked Wisconsin Gov. <a href="http://www.politifact.com/personalities/scott-walker/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">Scott Walker</a> by trying to tie him to Russian President <a href="http://www.politifact.com/personalities/vladimir-putin/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">Vladimir Putin</a>.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In a <a href="https://twitter.com/funder/status/867110768029949953" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">May 23, 2017 tweet</a> that has been retweeted more than 6,500 times ties, <a href="http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2016/dec/15/realtime-politics/websites-offer-false-headlines-about-treason-c/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">Scott Dworkin</a> said this:</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Docs: Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker took $1 million from a pro-Putin Ukrainian businessman—last election cycle.</b></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It’s a bit of a drive-by attack.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Dworkin and his group</font></strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Dworkin, who goes by @funder on Twitter, is a senior advisor for the Democratic Coalition Against Trump, which was founded during the 2016 presidential campaign. He gained attention after the election by <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">saying he was filing treason "complaints" against Trump and three other officials in connection with Russian interference in the election.</span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2016/dec/15/realtime-politics/websites-offer-false-headlines-about-treason-c/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">PunditFact pointed out</a> that only federal prosecutors, not ordinary citizens, can file criminal complaints alleging treason.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Dworkin has continued hammering on Russia, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/06/06/as-democrats-prep-for-comey-some-on-left-want-them-to-give-up-russia-story/?utm_term=.88dc40f275ed" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">telling the Washington Post</a> two weeks after his Walker tweet: "Anybody who says we shouldn’t look into Russia at this point is either in it or a traitor."</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Walker attack</font></strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Dworkin’s attack pertains to Walker’s brief run for the 2016 Republican nomination and to a super PAC which, unlike a presidential candidate, <a href="http://archive.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/scott-walker-woos-members-of-congress-lobbyists-in-dc-visit-b99503384z1-304291621.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">can accept unlimited donations</a>.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-weight: inherit;">When we asked for information to back up the claim, Dworkin referred us to a Federal Election Commission record showing that</span><b> Access Industries Inc. of New York City <a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?201507319000485091" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">made a $1 million</a> contribution to Unintimidated PAC, a super PAC launched by longtime Walker advisers.</b></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">(The super PAC, by the way, offered <a href="http://archive.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/scott-walker-woos-members-of-congress-lobbyists-in-dc-visit-b99503384z1-304291621.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">perks to $1 million donors</a>, including: twice-a-year retreats, members-only briefings and conference calls, two private dinners with "VIP special guests" and a special "executive board member" pin.)</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Access Industries actually gave a total of $1.5 million to the super PAC, the nonprofit Center for Responsive Politics told us, although $1.2 million of it was returned after Walker dropped out of the race.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>So, the $1 million figure in the tweet is accurate, except that the money was given to a super PAC supporting Walker, not to Walker or to his campaign.</b></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The rest of the attack is less on target.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The company owner</font></strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Access Industries is a New York-based industrial group whose holdings include Warner Music. It was founded by Leonard Blavatnik. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/len-blavatnik/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">According to Forbes</a>, he’s worth $19 billion, having <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanvardi/2015/01/21/the-four-horsemen-of-russias-economic-apocalypse/2/#366f5530366a" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">made $7 billion</a> from the sale of TNK-BP, a Russian oil company, in 2013.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Blavatnik was <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/01/20/the-billionaires-playlist" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">born in Ukraine and raised in Moscow</a>. But he emigrated to the United States for school in 1978, now lives in London and holds dual citizenship in the United States and the United Kingdom.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">So, calling him a Ukrainian businessman is not accurate.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As for whether Blavatnik is "pro-Putin," we didn’t find direct evidence of that, although there are connections.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/1dca5172-b122-11e3-9548-00144feab7de" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">The Financial Times</a> referred to Blavatnik as one of the "Kremlin-friendly tycoons" who made a fortune on the sale.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In 2015, the London-based <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3302741/Oxford-Putin-row-oligarch-s-75million-donation-University-accused-selling-prestige-Russian-President-s-associates.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">Daily Mail reported</a> on controversy over a $75 million donation made by Blavatnik to Oxford University. Academics, human rights activists and Russian dissidents called on the university to "stop selling its reputation and prestige to Putin’s associates."</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span style="font-weight: inherit;">And in 2016, the </span><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4079140/PM-s-war-oligarchs-cosied-Cameron-Theresa-vows-ban-links-Vladimir-Putin-Tory-fundraising-events.html#ixzz4kBaQCYLh" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">Daily Mail reported</a><span style="font-weight: inherit;"> that British Prime Minister </span><b>Theresa May believed that Russian and former Soviet bloc oligarchs with links to Putin had become too close to the Tories and should be barred from party fundraising events. The article cited Blavatnik </b><span style="font-weight: inherit;">as one of the oligarchs</span></span><span style="font-weight: inherit;">.</span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">However, when we checked with <a href="https://www.amazon.com/New-Tsar-Reign-Vladimir-Putin/dp/0345802799" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">Steven Lee Myers</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Putins-Kleptocracy-Who-Owns-Russia/dp/1476795207" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">Karen Dawisha</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Putin-Country-Journey-into-Russia/dp/0374247722" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">Anne Garrels</a>, each of whom has written a book on Putin, they told us they didn’t know whether Blavatnik was "pro-Putin."</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Blavatnik has pushed back on being tied to Putin.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In May 2017, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/may/04/tate-modern-names-extension-after-oligarch-donor-len-blavatnik" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">The Guardian reported</a> that lawyers for Blavatnik have denied he is an associate of Putin, saying he has had no personal contact with the Russian president since 2000. Similarly, the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/12/21/billionaires-supermarket-moguls-russian-oligarchs-financing/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: color 0.15s ease-in-out, border 0.15s ease-in-out;">Telegraph has reported</a> that Blavatnik insists he's a strong believer in democracy who hasn't had any contact with Putin since 2000.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Our rating</font></strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tweets made this claim: "Docs: Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker took $1 million from a pro-Putin Ukrainian businessman — last election cycle."
The businessman was born in Ukraine, but has long lived in London and New York. His company gave $1.5 million not directly to Walker, but to a super PAC that supported Walker’s run for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. He has ties to Putin, based on his past ownership of a Russian oil company, but whether he is "pro-Putin" is unclear.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-weight: inherit;">For a statement that contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression, our rating is </span><b>Mostly False.</b></font></p></div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ref</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><a href="http://archive.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/scott-walker-woos-members-of-congress-lobbyists-in-dc-visit-b99503384z1-304291621.html">http://archive.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/scott-walker-woos-members-of-congress-lobbyists-in-dc-visit-b99503384z1-304291621.html</a></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">
</font></div><div style=""><p class="main--author" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 18px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span class="author vcard" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.jsonline.com/about-us/craig-gilbert-28305029.html" class="fn" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(38, 72, 150); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"> Gilbert</a></span> of the <span class="source-org vcard" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Journal Sentinel</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Washington</b> — What does a million-dollar political donor get for his or her money these days?</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The answer is spelled out in great detail in a handout from the super PAC supporting Republican <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/scott-walker-290106981.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">Gov. Scott Walker's </a>potential presidential bid.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Among the perks:</font></p><p style="line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>Twice-a-year retreats,</b> members-only briefings, weekly email updates, members-only conference calls,<b> a dedicated staff contact, two private dinners with "VIP Special Guest(s)</b>," inclusion in "all public/regional fundraising events," and a special "Executive Board Member" pin.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Those benefits are itemized in a handout from Unintimidated PAC, the committee launched by longtime Walker advisers, to people attending a private reception with the governor that was held by the PAC in Washington, D.C., Tuesday.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The perks for $500,000 and $250,000 donors are also itemized. They are similar but more modest. People who give $500,000, for example, don't get the members-only briefings. And they get just one VIP dinner, not two.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Walker spent Tuesday holding private meetings in Washington with GOP members of Congress, lobbyists, evangelical leaders and others.</b></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The closed-door PAC reception was not a fundraiser, but the menu of donor perks distributed to guests is a testament to the wide-open fundraising landscape in this presidential cycle.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">While presidential candidates can only accept donations of up to $2,700 in the primaries and $2,700 in the general election, separate committees established to back them can accept unlimited donations. By law, they have to be "independent" and not coordinate their spending with candidates. <b>But the candidates and potential candidates they support can help them raise money (Walker is not yet declared).</b></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In this cycle, the super PACs are expected to have a bigger financial impact on the race than many of the candidates they are supporting.</font></p><p style="line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">"These single-candidate super PACs are <b>effectively operating as campaign committees today,"</b> says Paul S. Ryan, a lawyer with the Campaign Legal Center, which contends the use of super PACs is "potentially corrupting" and makes a mockery of longtime campaign contribution limits.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Ryan called the itemized menu of donor perks from Unintimidated PAC a "disturbingly common" phenomenon.</b></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The handout does not indicate what access donors are given to Walker personally or whether he will participate in the "members-only" retreats and dinners.</font></p><p style="line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Walker's political spokeswoman referred questions to Unintimidated PAC, which did not respond to an email query.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In a separate meeting Tuesday morning with around 70 Republican U.S. House members, Walker talked about his push to end collective bargaining in the state, his foreign policy views and other issues. He fielded questions from lawmakers on topics ranging from immigration to Common Core, according to those present.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Lawmakers interviewed on their way out said they were impressed with Walker's talk and open to his likely presidential candidacy, though it is too early for most to take sides in the GOP nominating fight.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Speaking briefly to a reporter, Walker said the discussion with House members was wide-ranging. He said he talked about what life might be like with a GOP president to go with a GOP Congress.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Instead of them playing defense, we could do positive things going forward," said Walker.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Walker's meeting with lawmakers was set up by Wisconsin's GOP House members.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"They've not met him. They wanted to meet him," Republican U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble said of his GOP colleagues from other states. "We wanted to give him a chance to make his case here."</font></p><p style="line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The governor also had individual meetings scheduled with several U.S. senators, including Utah's Mike Lee, Jerry Moran of Kansas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Most of the governor's meetings were at the National Republican Club of Capitol Hill, a place near the Capitol where Republicans meet and conduct political events.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><i /></font></p><h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.2; vertical-align: baseline; text-transform: capitalize; max-width: 600px;"><i><i><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">More Scott Walker Coverage</font></i></i></h3><i><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); max-width: 600px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; line-height: 28px; padding-bottom: 0px; display: block;"><p style="line-height: 1.43755em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">For more coverage of Gov. Scott Walker and the 2016 presidential race, from news stories to videos and interactive features, go to <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/scottwalker" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">jsonline.com/scottwalker</a></font></p></span></i><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding-bottom: 0px; max-width: 600px;"><i /></p><div class="main--authorcards" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px auto 18px 291px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; overflow-y: auto; max-width: 600px;"><div class="authorcards--author" style="margin: 5px 0px 10px; padding: 5px 0px 0px; border-width: 1px 0px 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.1; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: hidden;"><div class="author--body" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: hidden;"><h5 class="author--name" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">About Craig Gilbert</font></h5><p style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Craig Gilbert is the Journal Sentinel's Washington Bureau Chief and writes the Wisconsin Voter blog about politics and elections.</font></p><ul class="author--sociallinks" style="line-height: 14px; 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