The Russian Money Test

2015-10-28

The Russian Money Test

contradicted

Promised: 2017-01-11Trump said he had no dealings with Russia and no deals that could happen there.Open cited record · 1 source
The record: 2015-10-28Trump signed a nonbinding letter of intent for a Trump Tower Moscow licensing project with Russian developer IC Expert Investment Company; Michael Cohen negotiated for the Trump Organization through intermediary Felix Sater.Open cited record · 3 sources2016-06-14The project was not built, but negotiations and proposed Russia travel continued during the presidential campaign through June 2016 before the effort ended; no completed payment is established in this case.Open cited record · 2 sources
Who paid: United States public interest in accurate financial-conflict disclosure
Audit finding: contradicted
Trump's categorical 2017 denial conflicted with a Trump-signed 2015 letter of intent and a named Moscow licensing effort pursued during the campaign, while the project remained proposed and produced no established payment in this record.
Causal strength: documented mechanism

Evidence chronology

promise2017-01-11documented
Trump said he had no dealings with Russia and no deals that could happen there.
- Time: Read a Transcript of Donald Trump's Press Conference on Conflicts of Interest2017-01-11 · Trump statement that he had no dealings and no deals that could happen in Russia
Open underlying ledger entry
action2015-10-28documented
Trump signed a nonbinding letter of intent for a Trump Tower Moscow licensing project with Russian developer IC Expert Investment Company; Michael Cohen negotiated for the Trump Organization through intermediary Felix Sater.
- U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Minority Views, Report on Russian Active Measures2018-03-26 · Pages 49-51 on the 2015 Trump Tower Moscow letter of intent, named intermediaries, licensing terms, and campaign-period negotiations
- Axios: Giuliani admits Trump signed letter of intent for Trump Tower in Moscow2018-12-19 · Independent report on the October 28, 2015 Trump-signed letter of intent and the proposed Moscow project
- U.S. Department of Justice: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, Volume II2019-04-18 · Printed pages 134-142, including page 135 note 915: Trump approval, signed fall-2015 letter of intent, Trump Organization licensing terms, Felix Sater and Michael Cohen intermediaries, and travel discussions through June 2016
Open underlying ledger entry
outcome2016-06-14documented
The project was not built, but negotiations and proposed Russia travel continued during the presidential campaign through June 2016 before the effort ended; no completed payment is established in this case.
- U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Minority Views, Report on Russian Active Measures2018-03-26 · Pages 49-51 on the 2015 Trump Tower Moscow letter of intent, named intermediaries, licensing terms, and campaign-period negotiations
- U.S. Department of Justice: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, Volume II2019-04-18 · Printed pages 134-142, including page 135 note 915: Trump approval, signed fall-2015 letter of intent, Trump Organization licensing terms, Felix Sater and Michael Cohen intermediaries, and travel discussions through June 2016
Open underlying ledger entry
limitation2019-04-18documented
The cited records establish a signed proposed licensing instrument and campaign-period negotiations, not a completed tower, realized Russian payment, sanctions violation, Russian state ownership, illegality, or policy influence.
- U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Minority Views, Report on Russian Active Measures2018-03-26 · Pages 49-51 on the 2015 Trump Tower Moscow letter of intent, named intermediaries, licensing terms, and campaign-period negotiations
- U.S. Department of Justice: Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, Volume II2019-04-18 · Printed pages 134-142, including page 135 note 915: Trump approval, signed fall-2015 letter of intent, Trump Organization licensing terms, Felix Sater and Michael Cohen intermediaries, and travel discussions through June 2016
Open underlying ledger entry

Responses, contrary evidence, and limitations

limitation
The cited records establish a signed proposed licensing instrument and campaign-period negotiations, not a completed tower, realized Russian payment, sanctions violation, Russian state ownership, illegality, or policy influence.