“A Russian businessman who once led the financial services of a military unit at the Leningrad Naval base funneled thousands of dollars to a Trump Super PAC and other Republican entities in 2016, Forensic News can reveal. On Monday, the Department of Justice indicted two veteran GOP operatives, Doug Wead and Jesse Benton, for disguising the true source of funds of donations made in 2016. Now, Forensic News can report that the unnamed ‘Foreign National 1’ in the indictment is Roman Vasilenko, a reserve naval officer whose resume, according to analysts, appears suspicious and suggests a relationship with Russian intelligence.”
“The indictment of Benton and Wead details their months-long conspiracy to have Benton act as a ‘straw donor’ for Vasilenko, who secured photographs with then-candidate Trump due to his covert donations. Wead, 75, and Benton, 43, are well known in Republican political circles. Wead served as an advisor to numerous GOP candidates including George H.W. Bush, and most recently Rand Paul. Like Wead, Benton has worked with Rand and Ron Paul and acted as Mitch McConnell’s 2014 campaign manager. According to the DOJ, Wead told ‘Foreign National 1’ that he could meet Trump in exchange for a payment. In the ensuing weeks, Wead and the unnamed foreign national met Trump and took photographs with him at a campaign fundraiser before Benton donated $25,000 of Vasilenko’s money to a Trump Super PAC. Forensic News identified Vasilenko as ‘Foreign National 1’ after finding mention of Wead on a website for a Russian company called Life is Good, owned by Vasilenko. Research into Vasilenko in Russian media sources revealed the picture of Vasilenko posing with Trump, confirming his role in the indictment” – Forensic News.