The Plot to Hack America

A skilled autocrat such as Putin would easily understand how to play and manipulate Donald Trump’s ego. Putin would want Trump to feel as if he is truly qualified to be President, over the opposition of his American detractors who ridicule Trump as not being remotely qualified. Putin would know this from his intelligence collection apparatus that Trump would need strategically-timed compliments in an effort to foster his image and massage his easily-bruised ego.

Putin’s strategically-placed endorsement of December 2015 is a classic example of a “hands-off but actually hands-on” supporting statement to make the asset feel special. On Trump, Putin said: “[Trump] wants to move to another level of relations, a closer, deeper level of relations with Russia…How can we not welcome this? Of course we welcome this.”¹³

“He is a bright and talented person without any doubt. He is the absolute leader of the presidential race…”¹⁴

This statement and many others, as well as the largesse of attention and support from even average Russian citizens would make Trump feel indebted to Putin. Such indebtedness could even have contributed to Trump’s mistrust of the American system of government. The sentiment that Putin’s kind words were somewhat responsible for validating Trump on a world stage could explain Trump’s gushing admiration for Russia almost every time he speaks on the subject, much to the consternation of Trump’s staff. In his own mind, Trump may feel he received more support from Moscow than he did from the Republican Party, when Putin paid the compliment. For an unwitting asset “my friends [Putin] likes me,” this may be more than enough to maintain the bond between an active-measure handler and an unwitting asset.

The Kremlin Crew

A group of Russian-backed associates orbit Trump and have become known in some circles as “The Kremlin Crew.” It is not a problem for Trump to commune with money; the problem is his associates’ many disturbing connections to the Russian oligarchy and officers of the KGB/FSB. A wise businessman may seek out cash in the nouveau riche parts of the world. But add Russian oligarchy cash managed by FSB spies, and it adds up to the kind of relationships the FBI counterintelligence division routinely arrested people for during the Cold War—as espionage assets.

The Bayrock Group

One of Trump’s most troubling intelligence connections was to the Bayrock Group. Trump first aligned with them to build a hotel in Moscow in 2005. When that didn’t happen, he partnered with them to build the Trump SoHo. Bayrock was chaired by Tevfik Arif, originally a Soviet Union commerce apparatchik from Kazakhstan, who worked to introduce Trump to Russian investors. Trump saw it as a chance to open Trump Hotels and Towers in Moscow, Kiev, Warsaw, and Istanbul.¹⁵

Felix Satter also worked for Bayrock. He has been implicated in ties with Russian Mafia. Satter is also known for “using mob-like tactics to achieve his goals,” and was convicted of a stock fraud scheme. Satter made arrangements with Trump to develop projects in Russia and the U.S. He bragged in 2008 testimony, “I can build a Trump Tower, because of my relationship with Trump.”¹⁶ Trump denies knowing Satter. However, the relationship was significant enough that condo buyers in Trump International Hotel and Tower mentioned it in a lawsuit filed over construction.¹⁷ Trump sought to disassociate himself from the project, claiming he simply lent his name and denied knowing Satter. During his depositions, Trump said he knew neither Arif nor Satter.¹⁸

Satter is described as having threatened Bayrock employees with violence. Even after he left Bayrock, Satter kept a relationship with Trump including an office. AP reported that Satter used business cards that claimed he was a “Senior Advisor to Donald Trump.”¹⁹

Donald Trump announced his plans for Trump SoHo, a 46-story condominium-hotel in New York, on a 2006 episode of The Apprentice. For the project, Trump partnered with development companies the Sapir Organization and the Bayrock Group. The Sapir Organization was founded by the late Tamir Sapir, an émigré from the former Soviet republic of Georgia who quickly made millions on New York real estate in the 1990s. In 2006 his son Alex assumed the reins of the company. Of the elder Sapir, Charles Bagli wrote in The New York Times: