-Caveat Lector- Political Donor Said Tied to Mob By TIMOTHY WILLIAMS .c The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) - A campaign contributor to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Sen. Charles Schumer has been identified by the FBI as a member of a Russian crime syndicate whose company has laundered millions of dollars. Semyon ``Sam'' Kislin, 64, along with family members and businesses, gave $46,250 to the mayoral campaigns of Giuliani in 1993 and 1997 and $8,000 to the Senate campaign of Schumer last year. Schumer is a New York Democrat. Giuliani is a Republican. Kislin and his family have also donated to the re-election campaigns of President Clinton and former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, R-N.Y. Kislin, a commodities trader prominent in the Russian Jewish emigre community in Brooklyn, has denied any wrongdoing. He was vacationing in the Bahamas and could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Kislin is also a board member of the city's Economic Development Corp., which is charged with protecting the city's job and economic base. Giuliani, a likely candidate for a New York Senate seat, said he knew Kislin and his wife but was not aware of Kislin's reputed mob ties. ``I'm not aware of any of the allegations,'' the mayor said. ``They have not contributed to the federal (Senate) campaign...They have not raised any money (for me) since, I think, September 1997.'' A spokeswoman for Schumer said the senator had also been unaware of Kislin's ties. ``Our campaign policy was to do background checks on our donors,'' said the spokeswoman, Cathie Levine. ``Our research raised no red flags. If any of the allegations prove true, we will absolutely return the money.'' Kislin's suspected involvement with organized crime was first reported Tuesday by the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group based in Washington. Despite internal FBI reports on Kislin alleging money laundering and mob ties, the bureau has not pursued charges. FBI spokesman Joe Valiquette declined to comment Tuesday. A 1994 FBI intelligence report obtained by The Associated Press claims Kislin is a ``member or associate'' of a Brighton Beach crime operation headed by Vyacheslav ``Little Japanese'' Ivankov, who got 10 years in prison in 1997 for extortion and a fraudulent marriage aimed at preventing his deportation. The FBI report said Trans Commodities ``is known to have laundered millions of dollars from Russia to New York.'' In an interview with the center, Kislin said he doesn't know Ivankov and noted that he has never been charged with a crime. He also denied that his company, Trans Commodities, laundered money for Russian organized crime figures. As for the mayor, he said: ``I did a lot of fund raising for Giuliani. ... He's a good man, doing a good job for the city of New York.'' DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
