A Russian billionaire who purchased a mansion from President Trump
Donald John TrumpTrump pauses Missouri campaign rally after woman collapses Fox News hosts join Trump on stage at Missouri campaign rally Nate Silver in final midterm projections: 'Democrats need a couple of things to go wrong' to lose the House MORE in 2008 in a business deal that is now being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller
Robert Swan MuellerSasse: US should applaud choice of Mueller to lead Russia probe MORE was arrested Tuesday in Monaco on corruption charges.
Dmitri Rybolovlev, president of AS Monaco, was taken into custody by authorities in Monaco on Tuesday and is under investigation for charges of corruption and "trafficking in active and passive influence," according to French news service Le Monde.
Rybolovlev was the purchaser of a Florida mansion from Trump in 2008 for $95 million, a sharp increase from the $41 million Trump had paid for the property just four years earlier. Never living in the mansion, Rybolovlev instead divided the property into three parcels, two of which he has sold so far for a combined $71 million, according to The New York Times.
His purchase of the mansion is one of several Trump business transactions that Bloomberg News reported last year were under investigation by Mueller, who is probing allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government during the 2016 election.
In Monaco, Rybolovlev has been under investigation ever since text messages surfaced revealing that his lawyer was regularly in contact with top law enforcement officials in Monaco, enticing them with event tickets and other perks, according to the Times.
Philippe Narmino, Monaco's justice minister, resigned last year over the scandal after it was revealed that he had thanked Rybolovlev through the Russian's attorney for a helicopter trip to Rybolovlev's ski resort.
Trump and his allies have attacked the special counsel for investigating the president's business ties, which they have argued are outside the scope of Mueller's mandate under the Justice Department.
