financetom
Politics
financetom
/
Politics
/
Wilbur Ross says reports he didn't disclose ties to Putin-linked firm are 'totally wrong'
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
Wilbur Ross says reports he didn't disclose ties to Putin-linked firm are 'totally wrong'
Nov 6, 2017 8:01 AM

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said reports that he did not disclose ties to a firm linked with Russian President Vladimir Putin are wrong.

Ross was revealed to have business links to a Russian firm with close ties to Putin during a leak of financial documents at the weekend. The ties were disclosed in the so-called "Paradise Papers," a mass of documents leaked to German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung and reported Sunday.

The millions of documents mostly originate from a Bermuda-based legal services provider that works on offshore investments. The files reportedly show that Ross did not disclose an interest in a shipping company called Navigator Holdings, a company that has a business relationship with SIBUR.

Ross, however, has since denied to CNBC that he didn't disclose his Navigator holdings.

"That's totally wrong. It was disclosed on the form 278 which is the financial disclosure form, in my case, three times," Ross said.

In an earlier statement on Monday from the Department of Commerce it was further claimed that the holdings are openly listed in a form on the Office of Government Ethics website.

The commerce secretary added that there was nothing improper about Navigator Holdings relationship with SIBUR.

"A company not under sanction is just like any other company, period. It was a normal commercial relationship and one that I had nothing to do with the creation of, and do not know the shareholders who were apparently sanctioned at some later point in time," Ross told CNBC.

One of SIBUR's owners is Gennady Timchenko, a Russian billionaire who is considered part of Putin's inner circle, according to NBC. Since 2014, Timchenko has been barred by the Treasury Department from entering the United States, according to the news agency.

A second SIBUR owner is another Putin associate, Leonid Mikhelson, whose other company, Novatek, was placed on Treasury sanctions list in 2014, NBC noted. A third shareholder in SIBUR, and its deputy chairman, is Kirill Shamalov, husband of Vladimir Putin's daughter, Katerina Tikhonova.

Ross dismissed any suggestion that he considered resigning from his position as commerce secretary when the news broke Sunday night.

"No, that is a silly question. There is nothing wrong with anything that was done," Ross said.

Responding to the documents, the U.S. Department of Commerce said in an initial statement Sunday that Ross "was not involved with Navigator's decision to engage in business with SIBUR, a publicly-traded company, which was not under sanction at the time and is not currently."

"Moreover, Secretary Ross has never met the Sibur shareholders referenced in this story and, until now, did not know of their relationship," the statement said, adding: "The Secretary recuses himself from matters focused on transoceanic shipping vessels, but has been supportive of the Administration's sanctions against Russian and other entities."

Comments
Welcome to financetom comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Related Articles >
Lok Sabha passes Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill — All you need to know
Lok Sabha passes Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill — All you need to know
Jul 11, 2023
Activists have contended that words like "ecotourism facilities" and "any other purposes" are too vague and may pave the way for widespread exploitation and misuse.
Govt blames inaction by AAP in Punjab, Delhi for bad air quality
Govt blames inaction by AAP in Punjab, Delhi for bad air quality
Nov 6, 2023
Accusing Kejriwal of being busy with election campaigning in poll-bound states and waking up to the situation late, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, said that the Centre had held a meeting with Chief Secretaries and senior officials from four North Indian states on 20th October to discuss measures to reduce air pollution, which he claims weren't adopted by the AAP-led governments.
Brahmapuram waste plant fire: Kerala Assembly witnesses uproarious scenes, LoP says CM running away from issue
Brahmapuram waste plant fire: Kerala Assembly witnesses uproarious scenes, LoP says CM running away from issue
Mar 13, 2023
A fire that broke out at the waste treatment plant in Kochi on March 2, 2023, continues to spread toxic fumes even after 11 days of the incident. The Kerala government has said that 95 percent of the fire has been extinguished, but the smoke from the landfill has not entirely subsided. 
What is the debate over Biodiversity Bill, likely to be tabled in monsoon session of Parliament
What is the debate over Biodiversity Bill, likely to be tabled in monsoon session of Parliament
Jul 12, 2023
The new bill exempts registered AYUSH practitioners and people accessing codified traditional knowledge, from sharing benefits with local communities or giving prior intimation to state biodiversity boards before accessing biological resources.
Copyright 2023-2024 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved