released in a wikileaks diplomatic cable, volodymyr horbulin, one of ukraine's most respected policy strategists and former presidential advisor, told the u.s. ambassador to ukraine in 2006 that the party of regions, which "enjoyed deep pockets, being largely financed by billionaire donetsk boss rinat akhmetov" is partly composed of "pure criminals" and "criminal and anti-democracy figures". in a u.s. diplomatic cable dated 3 february 2006, then u.s. ambassador john herbst referred to akhmetov's party of regions as "long a haven for donetsk-based mobsters and oligarchs" and called akhmetov the "godfather" of the donetsk clan.