Austria's got a Russia scandal...

[Dill]

(05-20-2019, 11:45 AM)michaelsean Wrote: It's a little confusing for me.  She offered to buy half of the newspaper and switch its content to favor his party?  Is that the help with elections?

Yes.  But she wanted something in return, so the video shows Strache tossing out possible ideas.

E.g., the construction firm Strabag currently gets a lot contracts from the Austrian state. The woman (named Aljona Makarowa, supposedly) is presented as having a similar construction firm.  Were her people to give the FPOe help with the elections, then the state contracts would be steered away from Strabag to her firm--and padded. Strache also raised the possibility of gambling licenses.  
Also, the Russians supposedly had hundreds of millions of Euros to invest in Austria, and they discussed ways some of that money could bypass campaign donation regulations to find its way into FPOe coffers.  Big embarrassment as Strache suggested that others were already doing this, though  they deny it (German billionaire Heidi Goess-Horten and businessman Renee Benko, and Gaston Glock (the gunmaker) among others).

Since all of this was left open-ended, as "possibility," you'd have to say that, by current US standards, "nothing happened." Deal didn't go down, so no one is guilty of anything--except the Austrian (and German) Press, which once again shows its extraordinary "hate" for Strache and Gudenus.

Nothing to see here here folks but more fake news. Move along.

[hollodero]

(05-20-2019, 01:56 PM)Dill Wrote: Yes.  But she wanted something in return, so the video shows Strache tossing out possible ideas.

E.g., the construction firm Strabag currently gets a lot contracts from the Austrian state. The woman (named Aljona Makarowa, supposedly) is presented as having a similar construction firm.  Were her people to give the FPOe help with the elections, then the state contracts would be steered away from Strabag to her firm--and padded. Strache also raised the possibility of gambling licenses.  
Also, the Russians supposedly had hundreds of millions of Euros to invest in Austria, and they discussed ways some of that money could bypass campaign donation regulations to find its way into FPOe coffers.  Big embarrassment as Strache suggested that others were already doing this, though  they deny it (German billionaire Heidi Goess-Horten and businessman Renee Benko, and Gaston Glock (the gunmaker) among others).

 your summary is better than mine.

[*michaelsean*]

(05-20-2019, 02:00 PM)hollodero Wrote:  your summary is better than mine.

Nah. I understood basically what the VC ( google says vizekanzler)was offering.