The Moscow Mules: Troubling Russian Sympathies Among MT GOP
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 4, 2022
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press@montanademocrats.org
The Moscow Mules: Troubling Russian Sympathies Among MT GOP
Helena, MT – As Russia’s President Putin continues his deadly unprovoked attack on Ukraine and cracks down on freedom of speech, the Montana GOP’s response to Putin’s authoritarian regime has felt insufficient.
Let’s examine all the ways in which the Montana GOP has aligned themselves with Russia throughout the years:
Rep. Rosendale: Arguably the MVP of the Moscow Mules, Rosendale is Putin’s most loyal propagandist. He refused to condemn Russia’s unprovoked acts of war, refused to join with 426 of his colleagues in a resolution of support for Ukraine, and introduced a bill to withhold aid to Ukraine – months before the eventual attack.
Sen. Daines: Less than two years after Russia mounted an unprecedented attempt to subvert America’s democratic process, Daines visited Moscow for a 4th of July trip that deeply troubled foreign policy experts for its “conciliatory tone.” Did Daines hold Moscow accountable for election meddling and authoritarian aggression in Crimea? No. In fact, a member of the Russian delegation called the meeting “one of the easiest ones in my life.“
Gov. Gianforte: In 2017, Gianforte’s financial disclosures revealed he had $150,000 worth of shares in VanEck Vectors Russia ETF and $92,400 worth of shares in Ishares Msci Russia ETF fund, including shares in internationally sanctioned banks like VTB and Sberbank. After Putin invaded Crimea and meddled in American democracy, did Gianforte move his money out of those shady Russian companies? No. Gianforte’s loyalty to democracy is evidently not as strong as his loyalty to self-enrichment.
“Rosendale, Daines, and Gianforte might want to remember they work for Montana, not for Putin,” says Sheila Hogan, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. “Unfortunately, their refusal to condemn his brutal, authoritarian, anti-American regime has been consistent throughout their time in elected office. Montanans deserve better in their elected leaders than Putin’s puppets.”
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