Former senior Trump campaign advisor Michael Caputo gave a talk at a Russian-American business/commerce event two months before denying Russia ties
— Former Trump campaign lawyer Kendall Coffey also spoke at the event
In an interview with CNN last month, Caputo, a former senior advisor to Donald Trump’s campaign with strong ties to Russia, “firmly denied” any knowledge of alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Michael Caputo (source)
Caputo’s comments came shortly after he testified privately to the U.S. House Intelligence committee, which examined Trump’s “tarantula web” of ties to Russia, including Caputo’s work for a pro-Russian news network in the early 2000s.
In his closing statement to the committee, Caputo said that he no longer had any Russian clients, and had not had any business with Russia since 2004.
However, just two months before testifying, Caputo gave a talk about lifting Russian sanctions at a Miami, Florida event organised by the Russian-American Chamber of Commerce (RACC), an Atlanta, Georgia non-profit organisation.
The Russian American Chamber of Commerce in the USA (THE CHAMBER) is one of the main business organizations in the USA that assists U.S. companies in CIS market entry…THE CHAMBER facilitates cooperation for U.S. members with the Russian Government, Russian Regional Administrations, U.S. Consulates in Russia, Chambers of Commerce in Russia, and corporate leaders from CIS countries.
In March, RACC founder Sergei Millian (birth name Siarhei Kukuts) was named as the source of allegations about Trump’s “long-standing relationship with Russian officials.”
Left: Sergei Millian AKA Siarhei Kukuts (source)
A 2009 RACC newsletter claimed that RACC had “signed formal agreements” with the Trump Organization. A Russian PR awards site also states that Millian worked with the Trump Organization.
During his talk, Caputo said he believed the U.S. government would lift sanctions on Russia within two years, that the Trump investigation would uncover “zero collusion,” and that the “investigation will lose steam.” He also touched on his personal relationship with Trump, stating: “We talk a lot.”
Kendall Coffey, a Miami-based lawyer who represented former Trump aide Corey Lewandowski, also spoke at the event.
Shooting the Messenger 