TRUMP BUSINESS/VENEZUELA: “Years before President Donald Trump embarked on a campaign to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, the real estate mogul’s business was selling condominiums to the strongman’s supporters. At least half a dozen Venezuelans linked to either Maduro or his predecessor, dictator Hugo Chávez, purchased Trump condos in New York City and South Florida prior to Trump becoming president, according to property records. Several of the individuals faced serious allegations of — and even pleaded guilty to — the type of financial fraud in Venezuela that Trump now regularly decries. While the sales themselves weren’t illegal, the buyers’ backgrounds and purchase methods made the transactions suspicious, according to financial fraud experts. They noted that many of the purchases were made above the apparent market value, fully in cash or using shell companies to obscure identities — all potential signs of money laundering, the experts said.”
–Anita Kumar, “Real estate mogul Trump sold condos to regime-connected Venezuelans,” Politico, August 5, 2019 5:15 am