The WP reports a connection between the Carlyle Group and Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev, the Russian tycoons recently jailed by Putin.
Khodorkovsky, 40, Russia’s richest man and former chief executive of Yukos Oil Co., serves as an adviser to Carlyle’s Energy Group.
Lebedev, chairman of Group Menatep, a holding company that is a major shareholder in Yukos, was arrested in July on fraud charges. Lebedev had served as an adviser to Carlyle’s European investment funds, but is no longer listed on the firm’s Web site.
Carlyle spokesman Christopher W. Ullman declined to comment on the matter.
Last week sometime Atrios linked to this article by Matt Taibbi that’s worth a read.
While the WP article goes on to state that the Carlyle Group has no investments in Russia, I remain curious to learn the extent of their influence on the WH Energy Task Force, information Cheney has yet to let loose of his privileged grip.