Kenneth Rapoza , Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
Tweet This
Negative headlines on Russia will continue to chip away at the VanEck Russia ETFs success this year.
Investor alert: Mueller will be a thorn in Trump's side up to the mid-term elections.
A tough day for President Trump. Between headlines about extramarital affairs with a prostitute and Robert Mueller's indictment of Russians that helped his election campaign, POTUS has more distractions heading into the weekend. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
Thirteen Russians were indicted on Friday as part of the sweeping Russian 2016 election meddling investigation. None of the 13 individuals named in the indictment were well-known oligarchs or affiliated with any Russian corporation. Russian stocks continued to trade lower in the mid-afternoon hours, regardless.
The Russians were part of a company called the Internet Research Agency, which Special Counsel Robert Mueller described as a "Russian organization engaged in operations to interfere with elections and political processes." The individuals were indicted on two counts and -- if upheld -- the defendants will be forced to turn over profits made from the operation, or risk losing assets of similar value. It is unclear how the courts will uphold the charges against the individuals, especially if they are no longer in the United States.
The 13 Russians used stolen identities from American citizens to promote political activist campaigns that were mostly pro-Trump. Affiliated groups also held rallies in favor of Hillary Clinton. The individuals were never cited for tipping the election in favor of Trump, but were blamed for falsifying documents and foreign meddling in the election.
Source : forbes
Post a Comment