Russian-America businessman Alexander Shustorovich also was among the $1 million donors to Trump's inauguration committee. The Republican National Committee refused a contribution from the U.S. citizen in 2000, citing news reports at the time that cautioned about his ties to Russian business. In more recent years, he's given money to the party, to 2012 candidate Mitt Romney, and to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, FEC records show.
Donations from foreign nationals are banned. But the socialist administration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made a $500,000 donation through Citgo Petroleum, a U.S. affiliate of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA. PDVSA recently offered up a nearly 50 percent stake in Citgo as collateral for a $1.5 billion loan from Russian firm Rosneft. The deal drew criticism from Republicans who worry it sets the stage for Vladimir Putin to take control of American oil.