– We know for a fact that between 2020 and 2022 Ellen Pinchuk gave money to David Pressman, who at the time worked at the law firm Jenner & Block.
– It's a fact that Ellen Pinchuk and pro-Putin Russian oligarch Mikhail Prokhorov maintained a close business relationship.
– It was an obvious choice for Mr Prokhorov to entrust Ellen Pinchuk, a discreet, trusted longtime friend and confidante proficient in both Western and Russian contexts, with helping him to avoid sanctions.
– The law firm had a strong focus on sanctions, national security and export ban cases.
– Various sources reveal that Mr Prokhorov has long been unaffected by Western sanctions, while Ukraine has been asking for Prokhorov to be added to the sanctions list.
– It appears logical that the oligarch would take steps against the expected sanctions, applying for Israeli citizenship and seeking (legal) help from professionals who are "close to the fire".
– Jenner & Block represented one of the passengers of the plane shot down over Donetsk in 2014, and the plaintiffs in the dispute were two Russian banking giants, Sberbank and VTB Bank.
While the US ambassador in Budapest continues to critique Hungary's interactions with Russia, recent revelations suggest that David Pressman may have played a role in assisting one of Russia's wealthiest oligarchs in evading Western sanctions in exchange for substantial compensation. Before his diplomatic assignment, Mr Pressman spent two years at the law firm Jenner & Block which, according to its own website, is well-versed in international sanctions and export regulations. Mr Pressman's assets declaration was published after the diplomat's ambassadorial assignment. In it, he revealed that he, as an employee of Jenner&Block, had provided legal services to a woman named Ellen Pinchuk, who is none other than the person in charge of managing Mikhail Prokhorov's US dealings.