Ross is Trump's Commerce Secretary who laundered Russian money (and probably terrorist money too) through his Cyprus bank.
Was he charged with this?
After the ‘Paradise Papers’ disclosures, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross defended himself, saying he did nothing wrong and properly disclosed investments in a shipping firm with ties to Russian President Putin's inner circle.
This is what they all say before charges are brought forward.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Monday said that he clearly disclosed during his confirmation hearing that he shares business interests with Vladimir Putin's immediate family, denying an investigative report that he had concealed the ties.
On Sunday, a global consortium of investigative journalists, including
NBC News, reported that Ross, a billionaire industrialist, retains an interest in a shipping company, Navigator Holdings, that was partially owned by his former investment company. One of Navigator's most important business relationships is with a Russian energy firm named SIBUR that is controlled, in turn, by Putin's son-in-law and other members of the Russian president’s inner circle.
His ties to the Russian firm were obscured in a highly complex arrangement set up by a Bermuda law firm that specializes in concealing business interests from the public, and at least three U.S. senators, including the minority leader, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have complained that Ross misled Congress in his disclosure. Leaked documents from the law firm allowed reporters to follow the connection and make public Ross' ties to the Russian firm.
"That's totally wrong," he said. "It was disclosed on the form 278, which is the financial disclosure form, in my case, three times."
The investigative report, however, said the form contained only partial information and did not make clear that Ross was retaining ownership of a company that had a close business relationship with the Russian leadership.
the documents give a far fuller picture of his finances than the filings he submitted to the government on Jan. 15 as part of his confirmation process. On that date, Ross, President-elect Donald Trump's choice for commerce secretary, submitted a letter to the designated ethics official at the department, explaining steps he was taking to avoid all conflicts of interest.
The documents seen by NBC News, however, along with a careful examination of filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, tell a different story than the one Ross told at his confirmation. Ross divested most of his holdings, but did not reveal to the government the full details of the holdings he kept.
