John Podesta My Have Violated Federal Law By Not Disclosing 75,000 Stock Shares

Well, isn’t this a pot calling the kettle black moment: John Podesta, mouthpiece for the Democrats — the very same Democrats who are always pointing to supposed business-related and Russia-tied conflicts of interests of President Donald Trump — may have a disclosure problem.

Podesta, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2016 national campaign chairman, failed to disclose the receipt of 75,000 shares of stock of a Russia-financed company, the Daily Caller reported. He should’ve disclosed the financial interest in 2014, when he came aboard the White House staff.

But he didn’t.

And that’s a problem — which could very well turn into a federal law violation.

From the Daily Caller:

“Joule Unlimited Technologies — financed in part by a Russian firm — originally awarded Podesta 100,000 shares of stock options when in 2010 he joined that board along with its Dutch-based entities: Joule Global Holdings, BV and the Stichting Joule Global Foundation.

“When Podesta announced his departure from the Joule board in January 2014 to become President Obama’s special counsellor, the company officially issued him 75,000 common shares of stock.

“The Schedule B section of the federal government’s form 278 which — requires financial disclosures for government officials — required Podesta to ‘report any purchase, sale or exchange by you, your spouse, or dependent children…of any property, stocks, bonds, commodity futures and other securities when the amount of the transaction exceeded $1,000.’”

But Podesta’s tax filing.

As the Daily Caller notes: “Podesta’s form 278 Schedule B is blank regarding his receipt of any stock from any company.”

Interesting.

Several legal minds speaking to the Daily Caller said Podesta should have disclosed the stock.

From the news outlet:

“‘Well Podesta should certainly have been more upfront in filling this out. Clearly, it should have been fully disclosed,’ said Craig Holman, a lobbyist for the liberal group Public Citizen which was founded by Ralph Nader. ‘That’s the point of the personal financial disclosure forms, especially for anyone entering the White House,’ he told TheDCNF in an interview.

“‘If the transfer of stock took place, it had to be disclosed,” added former U.S. Attorney Joseph DiGenova in an interview. ‘If he didn’t, clearly it’s a violation.’

“The same year Podesta joined Joule, the company agreed to accept 1-Billion-Rubles — or $35 million — from Rusnano, a state-run and financed Russian company with close ties to President Vladimir Putin.

“Anatoly Chubais, the company CEO and two other top Russian banking executives worked together with Podesta on the Joule boards. The board met six times a year.

“Ron Hosko, a former FBI assistant director said because of the Kremlin backing, it was essential Podesta disclose the financial benefits he received from the company.”

The media, curiously, haven’t asked many questions about Podesta’s ties and failures to disclose. But that’s probably because they’re too busy going after Trump and his alleged conflict of interest business ties to Russia.