title:  BREAKING: Yet ANOTHER Trump Advisor Caught With Disturbing Russian Connections
text: There is a disturbing trend in the Trump campaign. After revelations in August came to light that Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort was a lobbyist on behalf of pro-Russian Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych, he resigned in shame, and currently undergoing investigation.Then, one month later, another Trump advisor, Carter Page, was probed for potentially holding secretive talks with Russian officials in an effort to have U.S. sanctions lifted. Ever since then, the Trump campaign has severed any ties with Page they once had.If the evidence couldn t be clearer that Trump is surrounding himself with pro-Russian allies in order to accomplish some nefarious endgame, it s been reported that yet another advisor has been caught doing business with Russia while coordinating with the campaign.According to congressional lobbying disclosures, Richard Burt received $365,000 from a Russian government-owned firm lobbying for a proposed natural-gas pipeline. The pipeline, which is opposed by the United States, would allow Russia to bypass Ukraine and Belarus thus greatly expanding Putin s power in Europe and abroad.Burt was responsible for crafting Trump s first major foreign policy speech in which Trump called for greater cooperation with Russia:I believe an easing of tensions and improved relations with Russia   from a position of strength   is possible. Common sense says this cycle of hostility must end. Some say the Russians won t be reasonable. I intend to find out.Burt also held policy meetings on national security and foreign policy with Alabama Senator (and Trump cheerleader) Jeff Sessions. Sessions is also the chair of the Trump campaign s national security committee.Not surprisingly, the Trump campaign did everything it could to play dumb, denying that the campaign knew nothing about any of this:We have no knowledge of this. In fact, our team cannot verify his self-proclaimed contributions to Mr. Trump s speech and, I don t believe Mr. Trump or our policy staff has ever met Mr. Burt. To our knowledge he had no input in the speech and has had no contact with our policy team.Either the Trump campaign managers are blatantly lying to everyone s faces, or they have no idea what s going on in their own campaign. Either way, the notions of doubt, deflection and ignorance isn t a good look.According to Politico:The revelation of Burt s simultaneous lobbying and campaign-advising comes at a time of mounting concerns about Russian attempts to manipulate the presidential election. Private security experts and American intelligence officials have concluded that recent hacks of the Democratic National Committee, state elections systems, and political figures were likely carried out by Russian government hackers. Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly professed admiration for Putin and called into question whether he would honor the United States  mutual defense obligations to NATO allies should they face Russian invasion.Third times the charm, apparently. So after three advisers have been tied to Russia, only time will tell just how much influence the rogue nation really does have on this election.The Trump campaign better start giving answers, before Hillary Clinton starts asking questions.Featured image via Ethan Miller/Getty Images