Russian Billionaires Are Scrambling to Stay Off a New US ‘Black List’

Last August, Congress sent President Trump a clear signal that he could not be trusted when it comes to Russia; A near-unanimous, bipartisan majority delivered a bill to the president’s desk imposing new sanctions on the country, while also slashing his office’s power to ease those restrictions. Trump, under scrutiny by federal investigators for possible collusion between his presidential campaign and the Kremlin, had little choice but to sign the bill into law.

A key deadline imposed by that law that may further test the administration’s willingness to be tough and transparent on Russia comes today, as the Treasury department must send Congress a report identifying the most influential Russian oligarchs, measuring their closeness to Putin and their net worth. While being included carries no formal legal consequence, the Russian business community has still been bracing for the release of this “black list” for months—and even working connections in the US to keep their names off it.

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