Russian-speaking immigrant allegedly entered Mar-a-Lago using fake identities, met with Trump, report says
Top Line
The FBI has launched an investigation into Inna Yashchishin, a Russian-speaking Ukrainian immigrant who allegedly posed as a member of the Rothschild banking family to gain access to former President Donald Trump’s inner circle at Mar-a-Lago. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.
This is an aerial view of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on August 10, 2022 in Palm… [+] Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, FILE)
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Key Facts
Yashchishin, 33, allegedly entered Mar-a-Lago on several occasions last year using a fake ID claiming she was Anna de Rothschild, a non-existent descendant of the European Rothschild banking dynasty.
It’s unclear how often she visited the resort, but she reportedly became well acquainted with several of Trump’s close aides, including Donald Trump Jr.’s fiancée, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Carolyn Wren, a former Trump campaign adviser. who helped organize it. January 6 Stop the theft rally.
Yashchyshyn was photographed with former President and Senator Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) during a high-dollar fundraiser for the midterm elections on the golf course at Trump International Golf Club on May 2, 2021, but it is unclear whether he had any other direct conversations with the former president.
Yashchishin reportedly dazzled those around him with stories of him growing up as a Rothschild in Monaco and plans to build a speed track in Miami, which he would use outside Mar-a-Lago. Also used to gain access to celebrities and power brokers. Like meeting rapper Ray J and auto magnate Horacio Pagani at the 2019 Austrian World Summit.
The members of Mar-a-Lago became aware of Yashchishin’s true identity in March, when a Florida music promoter told them that they learned that the Rothschild personality was fake while working with Yashchishin’s company, the Rothschild Media label.
Yashchyshyn denied any wrongdoing, telling reporters that he never claimed to be a Rothschild and that he was a “victim” of a scheme involving a former Russian-born business partner.
The FBI investigation appears to be focused on whether Yashchishin was part of a wider criminal network that attempted to infiltrate politicians and businessmen, with reports that investigators found two fake “Anna de Rothschild” as part of the investigation. Passports obtained.
Trump spokeswoman Margo Martin and the FBI’s press office did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Forbes.
what we don’t know
It is unknown whether there was any political or financial motive behind Yashchishin’s alleged visits to Mar-a-Lago, although he has a history of involvement in obvious scandals. Per the report, its payment processor served as president of a Miami-based charity called United Hearts of Mercy, before blocking the donation over fraud concerns.
main background
Security problems related to Mar-a-Lago have been at the center of national political and legal attention in the past few weeks after an FBI raid on the property, which uncovered a slew of documents, including top-secret material, that Trump had been improperly carrying with him. took away. After leaving the White House. The Justice Department has since overruled the search warrant and a revised version of the affidavit, in which it argued the probable cause of the raid, which included “improper removal and storage of classified information in unauthorized locations, as well as a criminal investigation.” Illegal concealment or deletion of government records.” The attachment of the search warrant revealed that the authorities are investigating possible violations of the Espionage Act as part of the investigation. Trump condemned the raid, saying the documents were safe and claimed he would have handed them over to the government if the DOJ had only asked for them.
tangent line
A Chinese business consultant was arrested in 2019 and later sentenced to eight months in prison for trespassing at Mar-a-Lago. Prosecutors said he had “malicious software” at the time of the arrest. After completing his sentence, he was deported to China.
Further reading
Anna’s Invention (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
DOJ releases revised Mar-a-Lago search affidavit – here’s what it says (Forbes)
Search warrant uncovered in FBI’s Trump Mar-a-Lago raid (Forbes)
Mar-a-Lago Raid: The FBI Is Investigating Whether Trump Violated These 3 Statutes (Forbes)
FBI agents discovered Mar-a-Lago in ‘undeclared raid’, says Trump (Forbes)
