2016 ELECTION/FBI/RUSSIA/SANCTIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Russian President Vladimir Putin’s request to U.S. President Donald Trump for a joint investigation of former U.S. officials sought by the Kremlin for ‘illegal activities,’ including a U.S. ambassador to Russia, is just the latest effort in a years-long campaign to undermine a U.S. law that imposes financial sanctions on Putin’s officials. Putin and advocates for the Kremlin’s position had had no success with the campaign – until Trump became president. The Magnitsky Act of 2012 is the backdrop of Putin’s proposal to Trump at the Helsinki meeting earlier this week that the United States give Russian officials access to former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, in exchange for allowing the FBI to question 12 Russian agents recently indicted for interfering with the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Trump was receptive to the suggestion, calling it ‘an interesting idea.’ That created a fire storm of criticism among Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike. But on Thursday, the White House reversed course with spokeswoman Sarah Sanders saying, ‘It is a proposal made in sincerity by President Putin, but President Trump disagrees with it.’”
-Joel Schectman, “Sanctions law behind Putin’s request to Trump for former U.S. officials,” Reuters, July 20, 2018 3:23 am