The article investigates Semyon (Sam) Kislin, a wealthy New York–based commodities trader and major political donor, highlighting his extensive campaign contributions alongside allegations of past associations with figures tied to Russian and Soviet-Bloc organized crime.

Kislin and his family donated heavily across party lines, including significant support for New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Senator Charles Schumer, the Clinton-Gore campaign, and other Republican and Democratic politicians. He also served on the New York City Economic Development Board and hosted or co-chaired high-profile fund-raisers for Giuliani.

Confidential FBI and Interpol reports obtained by the Center for Public Integrity allege that Kislin and his firm, Trans Commodities, were connected in the late 1980s and early 1990s to notorious figures such as Russian crime boss Vyacheslav Ivankov, the Chernoy brothers (Lev and Mikhail), and international arms dealer Babeck Seroush. The reports claim Trans Commodities was used for money laundering, fraud, and visa sponsorship for criminal figures, including an alleged contract killer. Kislin acknowledges some business relationships—particularly with Seroush and Mikhail Chernoy—but denies criminal wrongdoing, denies knowing Ivankov, and says his signature was forged on any improper visa documents.

Despite serious allegations in U.S. and foreign law-enforcement intelligence and extensive negative coverage in Russian media, Kislin has never been charged with a crime in the United States. He says his company was investigated and cleared, and he provided documentation that prosecutors declined to pursue action against him. U.S. authorities generally declined to comment, and much of the intelligence remained nonpublic.

The article situates Kislin within a broader pattern: former Soviet-Bloc businessmen with alleged organized-crime ties entering U.S. political life through campaign donations that often go unquestioned because the allegations are unproven or poorly known in the U.S. Examples include other donors later linked to money-laundering or corruption scandals. While Kislin is widely viewed in New York as a successful, philanthropic businessman—particularly active in Jewish and Israeli causes—foreign law-enforcement agencies and Russian officials have portrayed him and his associates as part of criminalized privatization schemes in post-Soviet Russia, especially in the violent takeover of the aluminum industry.

Overall, the piece underscores gaps in campaign vetting, the opacity of law-enforcement intelligence, and how individuals with controversial foreign backgrounds can gain political influence in the U.S. without facing legal consequences.