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 >
Imran Khan failed to present evidence of assassination claim to investigation team: Pak Interior Minister Sanaullah
Imran Khan failed to present evidence of assassination claim to investigation team: Pak Interior Minister Sanaullah
Jun 14, 2023
Sanaullah said that Khan, also the chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insa party, for no reason levelled allegations against Prime Minister Sharif, himself and senior Pakistan Army officers for hatching an assassination conspiracy, The Express Tribune newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Biden and Sunak to discuss Ukraine and economic security in British leader's first White House visit
Biden and Sunak to discuss Ukraine and economic security in British leader's first White House visit
Jun 8, 2023
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be meeting Joe Biden for extensive talks on Thursday as the UK Prime Minister visits the White House for the first time as premier. This would be the fifth face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since Sunak became the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Germany, Denmark, France from May 2-4
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Germany, Denmark, France from May 2-4
Apr 27, 2022
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Germany, Denmark, and France for a three-day visit beginning May 2 in response to the Ukraine situation and Europe's hard stance on the issue. This will be his first trip overseas this year. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced the visit on Wednesday, saying that the prime minister will fly to Germany first, then to Denmark, with a brief stopover in Paris on his way back on May 4.
Vladimir Putin will not be 'arrested' as he opts out of South Africa BRICS summit
Vladimir Putin will not be 'arrested' as he opts out of South Africa BRICS summit
Jul 19, 2023
Putin will be represented by Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, giving South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa a massive breather. Arresting Putin would have been akin to declaring war with Russia, Ramaphosa had argued.
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved