manatos

<a href="https://publicintegrity.org/politics/how-a-sanctioned-russian-bank-wooed-washington/">https://publicintegrity.org/politics/how-a-sanctioned-russian-bank-wooed-washington/</a>...VTB said its work with lobbyists is “structured in a completely transparent way.” A spokeswoman for Sidley Austin said omitting the meetings was inadvertent and “promptly corrected when discovered.”Sidley Austin’s advocacy team includes a former Democratic congressman from Virginia, Rick Boucher. Also on VTB’s payroll: lobbyist Mike Manatos of Manatos & Manatos, who <a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/147/201610279036941147/201610279036941147.pdf" style="letter-spacing: 0.3px; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">raised</a> tens of thousands of dollars for the presidential campaign of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;">VTB has so far paid Sidley Austin and lobbying firm Manatos & Manatos a combined $1.2 million since 2015 for lobbying on sanctions, according to disclosures filed with the Department of Justice. The U.S. Treasury Department nevertheless <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0338" 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; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">announced</a> new sanctions against Kostin himself in April.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.3px;">VTB’s effort — a <a href="https://www.fara.gov/docs/3731-Exhibit-AB-20151023-23.pdf" 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; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">reaction</a> to economic sanctions imposed on the bank by U.S. officials — coincided with escalating scrutiny of Russian attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election. The election interference in part <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/chuck-grassley-defends-his-response-to-russian-interference-in-2016-election" 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; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">prompted</a> some members of Congress to propose legislation last <a href="https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/sen-grassley-rep-johnson-introduce-bill-shine-light-foreign-influences" 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; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(243, 93, 38), rgb(243, 93, 38)), linear-gradient(rgb(2, 118, 232), rgb(2, 118, 232) 98%); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 0px 100%, 100% center; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Halloween</a> to overhaul FARA....