Dancing Oligarchs: Trump, Florida and the Russians: Recent Episodes
Gannett
Dancing Oligarchs is a breezy six-episode podcast that looks at the sometimes amusing, and often telling confluence of Russians and Donald Trump in Florida.
The podcast, written and conceived by Palm Beach Post investigative reporter Pat Beall with columnist Frank Cerabino, is a clearinghouse of Trump-Russia connections in Florida that you may have known, thought you knew, or may be surprised to just be learning.
It takes listeners from the gilded ballroom of Mar-a-Lago, where hundreds of oligarchs gathered for a Trump-emceed wedding of the daughter of a billionaire Russian oil dealer, to eyebrow-raising business deals with a cast of characters whose influence stretches from doomed Icelandic investment funds, over-leveraged Cyprus banks, and a Trump-named hotel in Fort Lauderdale that went belly up.
Along the way there are broken margarita glasses, stolen frozen chicken legs and a Trump-promoting Haitian-American rapper.
And speaking of music, to give this podcast a proper Russian vibe, the background accordion music you hear is played by Cerabino, who also adds some witty asides to Beall’s stories.
For more on Felix Sater and Trump SoHo
New York Times: Donald Trump settled a real estate lawsuit and a criminal case was closed
Los Angeles Times: Trump business associate led double life as FBI informant — and more, he says
BuzzFeed News: How a player In the Trump-Russia scandal led a double life as an American spy
NPR: Trump SoHo: A shiny hotel wrapped in glass, but hiding mysteries
Harvard Political Review: A tale of two Russias
For more on Iceland condo hotel money, Russians and jailed bankers
Bloomberg: Hey, Mueller, you should check out Iceland
Time: Why Russia is bailing out Iceland
The Telegraph (Britain): Donald Trump signed off deal designed to deprive US of tens of millions of dollars in tax
Sigrún Davíðsdóttir Icelog: Iceland, Russia and Bayrock – some facts, less fiction
For more on the failed Trump Fort Lauderdale condo project:
Miami Herald: Failed Donald Trump tower thrust into GOP campaign for presidency (with video and portion of 2013 Trump deposition)
Lawsuit brought by prospective buyers: Second amended complaint
YouTube: Wyclef Jean entertains at announcement of Fort Lauderdale project
Looking for book-length reading?
Craig Unger: “House of Trump, House of Putin: The Untold Story of Donald Trump and the Russian Mafia”
https://www.amazon.com/House-Trump-Putin-Untold-Russian/dp/152474350X
David Cay Johnston: “The Making of Donald Trump”
https://www.amazon.com/Making-Donald-Trump-David-Johnston/dp/1612196322
Salvatore Lauria: “The Scorpion and the Frog”
https://www.amazon.com/Scorpion-Frog-High-Times-Crimes/dp/1893224260
For more on Felix Sater and Trump SoHo
New York Times: Donald Trump settled a real estate lawsuit and a criminal case was closed
Los Angeles Times: Trump business associate led double life as FBI informant — and more, he says
BuzzFeed News: How a player In the Trump-Russia scandal led a double life as an American spy
NPR: Trump SoHo: A shiny hotel wrapped in glass, but hiding mysteries
Harvard Political Review: A tale of two Russias
For more on Iceland condo hotel money, Russians and jailed bankers
Bloomberg: Hey, Mueller, you should check out Iceland
Time: Why Russia is bailing out Iceland
The Telegraph (Britain): Donald Trump signed off deal designed to deprive US of tens of millions of dollars in tax
Sigrún Davíðsdóttir Icelog: Iceland, Russia and Bayrock – some facts, less fiction
For more on the failed Trump Fort Lauderdale condo project:
Miami Herald: Failed Donald Trump tower thrust into GOP campaign for presidency (with video and portion of 2013 Trump deposition)
Lawsuit brought by prospective buyers: Second amended complaint
YouTube: Wyclef Jean entertains at announcement of Fort Lauderdale project
Looking for book-length reading?
Craig Unger: “House of Trump, House of Putin: The Untold Story of Donald Trump and the Russian Mafia”
https://www.amazon.com/House-Trump-Putin-Untold-Russian/dp/152474350X
David Cay Johnston: “The Making of Donald Trump”
https://www.amazon.com/Making-Donald-Trump-David-Johnston/dp/1612196322
Salvatore Lauria: “The Scorpion and the Frog”
https://www.amazon.com/Scorpion-Frog-High-Times-Crimes/dp/1893224260
For more on Mar a Lago
Palm Beach Post: Mar-a-Lago through the years in photos
Palm Beach Post: Trump's Mar-a-Lago tax deal veiled from IRS review
Vanity Fair: How Donald Trump beat Palm Beach society and won the fight for Mar-a-Lago
For more on Tamir Sapir:
Georgian Journal: Georgian businessman's Hollywood story from taxi driver to billionaire
The New York Times: $40 Million buys ex-cabby his own corner of 5th Avenue
The New York Times: Brass knuckles over 2 Broadway: MTA and landlord fight it out over rent and renovations
The Observer: Billionaire Tamir Sapir failed to notice that $200,000 worth of silver champagne buckets had been stolen from his Long Island mansion
The New York Post: The Crass Menagerie
For more on Sam Kislin:
The Moscow Times: The case of the vanishing chicken
The New York Times: Same chicken in every plot? Two accused of reselling poultry
The Associated Press: Giuliani contributor denies mob ties
Forum Daily.com: American associated with Trump will sue Ukraine
New York Post: Pols hail mob-tied Russian
Moscow News: Snowflakes the size of human heads
For more on Lev Leviev and Afrika Israel
The Times of Israel: Diamond smuggling scandal spotlights shadowy Israeli tycoon Lev Leviev
Haaretz: Who is Lev Leviev, the Israeli billionaire with ties to Jared Kushner and Putin?
For more on the Moscow hotel
Yahoo Finance: 'Country bumpkins:' Five business problems with Trump’s Russia project
The Mueller report: Special counsel's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, Trump Tower Moscow project, Pages 67-76
For viewpoints on the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting
The Guardian: Rob Goldstone on Trump: 'I think he likes Russia because Russia liked him'
The Observer: Emin Agalarov gets candid about geopolitical trolling and Trump Tower Moscow
For more on the Magnitsky Act
The Atlantic: Why does the Kremlin care so much about the Magnitsky Act?
NPR: What really irritates Vladimir Putin? The Magnitsky Act
For more on Dmitry Rybololev, the Donald Trump mansion, flight paths and a disappeared da Vinci
Palm Beach Post: Trump in Palm Beach: Did Russian mansion buyer make money?
Trump in Palm Beach: Why did Russian pay so much for his mansion?
Russian oligarch responds to Trump airport connection
Yachts of Trump financial backer, Russian oligarch seen close together
McClatchyDC: Trump, Russian billionaire say they’ve never met, but their jets did — in Charlotte
Russian billionaire says it was ‘pure coincidence’ his jet twice shadowed Trump’s
New York Times: In hard times, Russia tries to reclaim industries
Fox News: Leonardo Da Vinci’s $450M painting of Jesus Christ set for Abu Dhabi museum missing: report
For more on Russians, the Bank of Cyprus and Wilbur Ross
Amazon.com: This giant beast that is the global economy: Episode 1
International Consortium for Investigative Journalists: Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross benefits from business ties to Putin’s inner circle
The Guardian: Trump's commerce secretary oversaw Russia deal while at Bank of Cyprus
The National Herald (Greece): Cyprus is on track to receive next bailout installment
New York Times: New commerce secretary was no friend to Russians at Cyprus Bank
For more on Deutsche Bank, mirror trades and Josef Ackerman
Bloomberg: How ‘mirror trades’ moved billions from Russia
Bloomberg: Wall Street nemesis joins House panel’s Deutsche Bank probe
International Business Times: Vladimir Putin's aides, including Rotenbergs, may have benefited from Deutsche Bank trades: Report
der Spiegel: How a pillar of German banking lost its way
U.S Department of Justice: Deutsche Bank mirror trade indictment
