Donald Trump Jr. ‘Likely’ Paid $50k+ by Russian Allies for October Speech

Back on October 11th of last year, exactly four weeks before his father’s victory in the presidential election, Donald Trump, Jr. spoke at an event in Paris held by the Center of Political and Foreign Affairs (CPFA), a French think tank. On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal published a report further scrutinizing the speaking engagement, revealing that the president’s eldest son made “at least $50,000” for the speech. Why is this notable? Because the CPFA’s president and his wife worked with the Russian government on ending the war in Syria.

Fabien Baussart, the president of the organization, and his wife, Syrian-born Randa Kassis, claim that they don’t represent Russia, but Kassis is, as WSJ puts it, “a leader of a political faction endorsed by Russia in negotiations to end the war in Syria.” Various “U.S., European and Arab officials” are cited as saying that the couple worked with Russia directly to end the civil war. Perhaps even more conspicuous, in December Baussart nominated Russian President Vladimir Putin for the Nobel Peace Prize. He told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti that “I believe that President Putin has deserved it” because “he is the only one who is truly fighting terrorism.”

An agency that books Trump, Jr. for speeches lists his minimum fee as $50,000, but those familiar with the process told the Journal that French organizations tend to pay 20% to 30% above a speaker’s starting price. A spokesperson for The Trump Organization issued a comment stating that “Donald Trump Jr. has been participating in business-related speaking engagements for over a decade — discussing a range of topics including sharing his entrepreneurial experiences and offering career specific advice.”

[image via screengrab]