PARTY HARD

Russia-Linked Billionaires Attended Exclusive Trump Inauguration Events: Report

Their attendance at these invite-only parties has caught the interest of investigators in the Russia probe.

Several billionaires connected to Russia attended Trump inauguration events that are typically restricted to important donors or other political allies, according to guest lists ABC News obtained. The tycoons were given “unprecedented access to Trump’s inner circle”—and investigators in special council Robert Mueller’s probe are interested in their attendance at the parties, the network reported. “This reflects a Russian strategy of gaining access to our political leaders at a time when they are just forming a government,” said analyst Matthew Olson. The Treasury Department later sanctioned one guest, Victor Vekselberg, “for operating in the energy sector of the Russian Federation economy.”