Like Trump’s intelligence chief, ex-U.S. envoy under scrutiny for ties to sanctioned oligarch reportedly living in Miami

By Jack Davies, Mongabay

• A former U.S. ambassador to Moldova who is employed by the country’s top commodities baron, Vaja Jhashi, has come under scrutiny for the firm’s links to a sanctioned oligarch.
• Last month, a Mongabay investigation revealed Jhashi’s firm, Trans-Oil, is allegedly over-exploiting its virtual monopoly on grain exports from the country and using offshore companies to transfer its profits overseas and avoid paying tax.
• The fugitive tycoon in question, Vladimir Plahotniuc, has reportedly been living in Miami, despite the sanctions, at a property linked to Jhashi.
• A senior Trump administration official, acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell, has also come under fire for working for the oligarch, raising fears he was vulnerable to blackmail.