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{{Anchor|Sergei Magnitsky}}

{{Anchor|Sergei Magnitsky}}

===Sergei Magnitsky===

===Sergei Magnitsky===

Browder said in his 2017 Senate testimony that following the Russian seizure of Hermitage's corporate seal and documents he: {{quotebox|“hired the smartest Russian lawyer I knew, a 35-year-old named Sergei Magnitsky. I asked Sergei to investigate the purpose of the raids and try to stop whatever illegal plans these officials had.”}}

Browder said in his 2017 Senate testimony that following the Russian seizure of Hermitage's corporate seal and documents he:  

{{quotebox-float|“hired the smartest Russian lawyer I knew, a 35-year-old named Sergei Magnitsky. I asked Sergei to investigate the purpose of the raids and try to stop whatever illegal plans these officials had.”}}

Browder's subsidiary companies were falsely listing employees as meeting the definition of “handicapped individuals” when in fact they did not. In other cases, workers were listed as holding certain jobs on paper only. They worked in other positions and in some cases did not work for the company at all.

Browder's subsidiary companies were falsely listing employees as meeting the definition of “handicapped individuals” when in fact they did not. In other cases, workers were listed as holding certain jobs on paper only. They worked in other positions and in some cases did not work for the company at all.

And despite Browder's claims of ignorance, it was Browder himself who signed the fraudulent tax forms. Browder failed to disclose that he had employed Magnitsky since 2002—admittedly through Firestone Duncan. He also failed to tell Congress of the ongoing tax investigations at Hermitage. And Browder again referred to Magnitsky as a lawyer, when that is not true.

And despite Browder's claims of ignorance, it was Browder himself who signed the fraudulent tax forms. Browder failed to disclose that he had employed Magnitsky since 2002—admittedly through Firestone Duncan. He also failed to tell Congress of the ongoing tax investigations at Hermitage. And Browder again referred to Magnitsky as a lawyer, when that is not true.

Lucy Komisar states that {{quotebox|“Magnitsky did not uncover the December 2007 tax refund fraud that cheated the Russian Treasury of $230 million” and notes that “the three testimonies he gave before his November 2008 arrest did not reveal the fraud.”<ref>https://www.thekomisarscoop.com/2018/07/ive-been-browders-number-one-journalist-critic-for-two-decades-heres-what-president-trump-should-know-about-handling-him/</ref>}} Instead, Komisar's article notes that the {{quotebox|“first indication of the fraud was by the Russian, Rimma Starova, who worked for one of the implicated shell companies.”}} Starova's testimony was taken on April 9, 2008. In translated testimony Starova details the re-registration of three Hermitage shell companies and the creation of fictitious losses that led to the fraudulent tax rebates. No individuals are specified as being responsible, but critical to note is the date of her testimony—April 2008.

Lucy Komisar states that  

{{quotebox-float|“Magnitsky did not uncover the December 2007 tax refund fraud that cheated the Russian Treasury of $230 million” and notes that “the three testimonies he gave before his November 2008 arrest did not reveal the fraud.”<ref>https://www.thekomisarscoop.com/2018/07/ive-been-browders-number-one-journalist-critic-for-two-decades-heres-what-president-trump-should-know-about-handling-him/</ref>}} Instead, Komisar's article notes that the  

{{quotebox-float|“first indication of the fraud was by the Russian, Rimma Starova, who worked for one of the implicated shell companies.”}} Starova's testimony was taken on April 9, 2008. In translated testimony Starova details the re-registration of three Hermitage shell companies and the creation of fictitious losses that led to the fraudulent tax rebates. No individuals are specified as being responsible, but critical to note is the date of her testimony—April 2008.

Sergei Magnitsky would not be arrested for another seven months. It appears that at no point prior to his arrest had Magnitsky detailed or alleged fraud. In and of itself, this raises serious question over the entire series of events.

Sergei Magnitsky would not be arrested for another seven months. It appears that at no point prior to his arrest had Magnitsky detailed or alleged fraud. In and of itself, this raises serious question over the entire series of events.