Washington D.C. (Special to ZennieReport.com) – All of these moves by President Trump point to a challenge over the basic rules described by the U.S. Constitution. He’s obviously pushing for a constitutional crisis, but wasn’t Trump elected because he supposedly had a better grasp of the U.S. Economy?
What’s clearly happening is that Trump is making changes – many totally unnecessary – that are destabilizing American society. Already, the Trump Administration has had to reverse and hire-back employees who were wrongly terminated “just because” Elon Musk’s DOGE crew said they needed to be or President Trump’s executive order called for it, or both. And with no sound reason. Many of the places, programs, and people put in place to run the American Government are there because a large constituency wants them there. That’s America.
One could make a powerful argument that, considering his buddy-buddy relationship with a man, Vladimir Putin, the World considers a criminal, and his business interests, President Trump is acting like he owes something to the Russian strongman. That’s illegal, you know.
That brings us to this Guardian UK paragraph from April 24th, 2024: “Donald Trump’s social media company Trump Media managed to go public last week only after it had been kept afloat in 2022 by emergency loans provided in part by a Russian-American businessman under scrutiny in a federal insider-trading and money-laundering investigation.”
And that brings in a brief look at a man named Anton Postolnikov. Anton Postolnikov, by his own “About me” page is “CEO and Independent Contractor in Miami Beach, FL, US”. That’s in the region where President Trump’s Mar-A-Lago compound is located in Palm Springs. Anyway, Mr. Postolnikov says he is “owner of the Financial Conduct Authority-authorized payment institution DEK-CO (UK) LTD” and the Guardian UK claims he’s the owner of the “ES Family Trust that operated like a shell company for a Russian-American businessman named Anton Postolnikov, who co-owns Paxum Bank and has been a subject of a years-long joint federal criminal investigation by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) into the Trump Media merger.”
Ouch.
Anton is the “Russian-American businessman under scrutiny” (but has not been charged with a crime) and to make matters worse, the Trump Company and Trump Media threatened legal action against The Guardian UK if it continued to assert there was a connection. In fairness to Trump Media, there is no obvious proof of financial help from Anton Postolnikov, like a check or something. Also, Mr. Postolnikov has never been charged of a crime in this matter.
But Anton Postolnikov is the nephew of Aleksandr Smirnov, a man said to be an ally of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. Anton’s Paxum Bank is also noted as the organization that loaned money to Tristan Tate, the brother. of disgraced woman-hating social media personality Andrew Tate.
All of this is worthy of a deep-dive because it’s clear that President Trump has just enough ties to Russian businesspeople such that it’s fair to ask to what degree those relationships are driving these actions by the Trump Administration? And just how much does Donald Trump owe Anton Postolnikov and other Russian bankers?
UPDATE FROM THE LONDON REPORTER: After the publication of the Guardian article and this article, an article was published on March 16 on a Dominican news website, Nature Isle News Service, citing Postolnikov as he denies all allegations including those from prosecutors referred to in the Guardian. Paxum Bank is based in Dominica. Postolnikov is cited as saying he is not a relative of any Putin ally. “Contrary to what the Guardian article states, Anton has absolutely no relationship with any Putin allies, and he has no relationship with any person or entity sanctioned by the United States government,” according to the article.
Regarding the loans to Trump Media, their existence is not denied nor confirmed as Paxum invokes client confidentiality.
“Paxum Bank’s compliance department determines the source of funds for all such transactions to ensure that all Anti- Money Laundering regulations are adhered to, including verification of source of funds,” according to the article. Paxum further denies lending Russian money or any form of malfeasance, and says it “routinely” rejects client funds because of their Russian origin.
Still Many Believe Donald Trump Is Influenced By Russia
The claim by a Russian tech investor living in Miami that he has no ties to Donald Trump may be so, but the proximity between that person and Trump’s interests in remarkably close. It’s for that reason and many others that some assert President Trump is a Russian Asset.
And That President Trump Has Been Laundering Russian Money
Here’s the wild executive order.
President Trump Ensuring Accountability For All Agencies
02/18/25
EXECUTIVE ORDER
ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALL AGENCIES
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Policy and Purpose. The Constitution vests all executive power in the President and charges him with faithfully executing the laws. Since it would be impossible for the President to single-handedly perform all the executive business of the Federal Government, the Constitution also provides for subordinate officers to assist the President in his executive duties. In the exercise of their often-considerable authority, these executive branch officials remain subject to the President’s ongoing supervision and control. The President in turn is regularly elected by and accountable to the American people. This is one of the structural safeguards, along with the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches, regular elections for the Congress, and an independent judiciary whose judges are appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, by which the Framers created a Government accountable to the American people.
However, previous administrations have allowed so-called “independent regulatory agencies” to operate with minimal Presidential supervision. These regulatory agencies currently exercise substantial executive authority without sufficient accountability to the President, and through him, to the American people. Moreover, these regulatory agencies have been permitted to promulgate significant regulations without review by the President.
These practices undermine such regulatory agencies’ accountability to the American people and prevent a unified and coherent execution of Federal law. For the Federal Government to be truly accountable to the American people, officials who wield vast executive power must be supervised and controlled by the people’s elected President.
Therefore, in order to improve the administration of the executive branch and to increase regulatory officials’ accountability to the American people, it shall be the policy of the executive branch to ensure Presidential supervision and control of the entire executive branch. Moreover, all executive departments and agencies, including so-called independent agencies, shall submit for review all proposed and final significant regulatory actions to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within the Executive Office of the President before publication in the Federal Register.
Sec. 2. Definitions. For the purposes of this order:
(a) The term “employees” shall have the meaning given that term in section 2105 of title 5, United States Code.
(b) The term “independent regulatory agency” shall have the meaning given that term in section 3502(5) of title 44, United States Code. This order shall not apply to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or to the Federal Open Market Committee in its conduct of monetary policy. This order shall apply to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System only in connection with its conduct and authorities directly related to its supervision and regulation of financial institutions.
(c) The term “independent regulatory agency chairman” shall mean, with regard to a multi-member independent regulatory agency, the chairman of such agency, and shall mean, with regard to a single-headed independent regulatory agency, such agency’s chairman, director, or other presiding officer.
(d) The term “head” of an independent regulatory agency shall mean those appointed to supervise independent regulatory agencies and in whom the agencies’ authorities are generally vested, encompassing the chairman, director, or other presiding officer, and, as applicable, other members, commissioners, or similar such officials with responsibility for supervising such agencies.
Sec. 3. OIRA Review of Agency Regulations.
(a) Section 3(b) of Executive Order 12866 of September 30, 1993 (“Regulatory Planning and Review”), as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows:
“(b) “Agency,” unless otherwise indicated, means any authority of the United States that is an “agency” under 44 U.S.C. 3502(1), and shall also include the Federal Election Commission. This order shall not apply to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or to the Federal Open Market Committee in its conduct of monetary policy. This order shall apply to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System only in connection with its conduct and authorities directly related to its supervision and regulation of financial institutions.”.
(b) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) shall provide guidance on implementation of this order to the heads of executive departments and agencies newly submitting regulatory actions under section 3(b) of Executive Order 12866. Agency submissions by independent regulatory agencies under such section shall commence within the earlier of 60 days from the date of this order, or completion of such implementation guidance.
Sec. 4. Performance Standards and Management Objectives. The Director of OMB shall establish performance standards and management objectives for independent agency heads, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, and report periodically to the President on their performance and efficiency in attaining such standards and objectives.
Sec. 5. Apportionments for Independent Regulatory Agencies. The Director of OMB shall, on an ongoing basis:
(a) review independent regulatory agencies’ obligations for consistency with the President’s policies and priorities; and
(b) consult with independent regulatory agency chairmen and adjust such agencies’ apportionments by activity, function, project, or object, as necessary and appropriate, to advance the President’s policies and priorities. Such adjustments to apportionments may prohibit independent regulatory agencies from expending appropriations on particular activities, functions, projects, or objects, so long as such restrictions are consistent with law.
Sec. 6. Additional Consultation with the Executive Office of the President.
(a) Subject to subsection (b), independent regulatory agency chairmen shall regularly consult with and coordinate policies and priorities with the directors of OMB, the White House Domestic Policy Council, and the White House National Economic Council.
(b) The heads of independent regulatory agencies shall establish a position of White House Liaison in their respective agencies. Such position shall be in grade 15 of the General Schedule and shall be placed in Schedule C of the excepted service.
(c) Independent regulatory agency chairmen shall submit agency strategic plans developed pursuant to the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 to the Director of OMB for clearance prior to finalization.
Sec. 7. Rules of Conduct Guiding Federal Employees’ Interpretation of the Law. The President and the Attorney General, subject to the President’s supervision and control, shall provide authoritative interpretations of law for the executive branch. The President and the Attorney General’s opinions on questions of law are controlling on all employees in the conduct of their official duties. No employee of the executive branch acting in their official capacity may advance an interpretation of the law as the position of the United States that contravenes the President or the Attorney General’s opinion on a matter of law, including but not limited to the issuance of regulations, guidance, and positions advanced in litigation, unless authorized to do so by the President or in writing by the Attorney General.
Sec. 8. General Provisions.
(a) If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and the application of its provisions to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.
(b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(c) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(d) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.