neptunus yachts inc

• Current Issue
• SIGN UP FOR NUVO NEWS

© 2024 NUVO Magazine Ltd.

The Canadian-Made Neptunus 650F Raises the Bar on Cruising Yacht Luxury

Built for discovery..

• Writer Craig Ritchie

Any discussion about luxury yachts requires a basic command of Italian, with fabled marques like Ferretti, Benetti, Baglietto, Filippetti, Azimut, Sanlorenzo, Rossinavi and Riva dominating the conversation. Yet Canadians needn’t feel left out, as our home and native land is also known for its share of luxury yacht nameplates, including globally acclaimed builders like Crescent Custom Yachts and West Bay Sonship in B.C. and Neptunus Yachts in Ontario.

Located in St. Catherines on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, Neptunus Yachts has been quietly creating yachts for more than 30 years. It has launched more than 180 to date, including a growing number of CE Category A ocean-certified vessels, including the acclaimed Neptunus 650F .

The mid-sized 650F is a three-stateroom, three-head flybridge yacht with a performance hull design and magnificent interiors featuring leather seating, natural walnut joinery, and designer-inspired accents. For 2022 the 650F gains an all-new layout that delivers the company’s most spacious, open, and bright interior yet. Let’s take a closer look.

The Neptunus 650F rides on a resin-infused hull that incorporates two layers of Kevlar for an optimal balance of strength and rigidity. Stretching 20.2 metres, the 650F also measures a full five metres wide–a beefy beam that contributes both to its seakeeping ability and its generous interior space. With twin Caterpillar C18 engines churning out a hefty 1,136 horsepower apiece, that performance hull will clip along quite comfortably at 26 knots and reach 31 knots at full throttle. That’s impressive performance for a 35,380-kilogram yacht and demonstrates the efficiency of the 650F’s innovative hull design.

With its 3,785-litre fuel capacity, 1,204-litre freshwater capacity, and 582-litre waste capacity, the 650F is clearly built for serious, extended cruising. Look below the floorboards, and you’ll find that supported by a 20-kilowatt Northern Lights generator, 15-horsepower proportional thrusters at the bow and stern, a Seakeeper stabilizer system, a Yacht Controller joystick remote control for one-handed docking, and more.

Yacht builders normally brag about the length of their options list, but Neptunus includes all the goodies as standard equipment because, let’s face it, we all want them anyway. So why play around?

The 650F has a time-tested layout, with a large settee facing an elegant rectangular table in the cockpit for al fresco drinks or meals while under the protection of the full hardtop. Hand-laid teak decking provides a luxurious yet hard-wearing finish to this high-traffic outdoor space.

A portside staircase leads up to the flybridge deck, where guests can lounge in comfort on a huge wraparound settee that surrounds a pedestal-mount table. A raised quartz table with four chairs faces a small galley area, while the helm station, with its three Pompanette helm chairs with flip-up bolsters, provides a commanding view of the helm, complete with its twin Raymarine 16-inch Axiom touch-screen displays and room to add a third. Dual 16,000 BTU air conditioning units ensure the flybridge stays comfortable on even the hottest summer days.

Back on the main deck, stepping inside through the full-beam glass door reveals an aft-galley complete with a centre island, quartz countertops, and stainless steel appliances. To the port side of the galley lies a beverage centre, complete with a Jura coffeemaker with one-touch cappuccino function, and a JennAir beverage unit.

Forward of the galley and two steps up is an inviting salon and a raised L-shaped dinette offering 360-degree views through the 650F’s oversized windows. A 49-inch QLED TV with a Sony sound system provides evening entertainment in front of the oversized white-leather settees.

When it’s time to tuck in at the end of the day, guests enjoy a choice of two luxurious staterooms below. A comfortable starboard-side double cabin offers direct access to the day head, while the larger bow VIP suite offers a queen bed, side windows, an overhead vent hatch, and greater overall space.

The owners enjoy a full-beam, midship master suite with every luxury, including a king bed, large his-and-hers closets, and an expansive ensuite with shower. Large side windows with opening port holes flood the space with fresh air and natural light.

There are also discreet crew quarters far aft, accessed through a transom hatch off the swim platform. For those self-crewing the yacht, this private space will prove a real hit with the kids. Or spec the yacht as a self-crewed vessel to start with and enjoy the bonus storage space for supplies.

For more than 30 years, Neptunus has earned an international reputation as a boater’s boat–a yacht designed and built by yachters who know what does and doesn’t work on the water. If there were ever a vessel made for serious cruising in demanding Canadian waters–or around the world—then the 650F is it.

• Luxury Yachts

Related Stories

Riva Yachts

Migaloo’s Submersible Superyachts

Luxury Auto Manufacturers Partner with Boat Builders

The Oceanco Moonstone

YACHT TEST: Neptunus Yachts 650 Express

A true custom boat-building experience at an affordable price, right here at home in Canada.

Celebrating the Past

Jan Willem De Jong came over from the Netherlands in 1989 along with his partner Martin.  They had formed a partnership with CNC Yachts to build a few boats for them, and things started to go south.  Three boats were finished, two were not when the Canadian dollar strengthened and the luxury tax in the USA was brought in.  CNC went under, and Jan and Martin had a decision to make: do they pull out or dive in?

Beam:  16’ 7” / 4.07 m

Draft:  4’ 8” / 1.4 m

Displacement  77,000 lbs / 35,000 kgs

Fuel:  1,130 gals / 4,292 L

Water: 3 00 gals / 1,140 L

Waste:  130 gals / 494 L

Engines:  Twin CAT C-18 ACERT @  1,000 HP each

Generator:  21.5 kW

Max Speed:  31 knots

Cruising Speed:  26 knots

For more information Neptunus Yachts 8 Keefer Road, St. Catherines, OntarioL2M 7N9 www.neptunusyachts.com 

In 1991, they rented the old Hinterhoeller Sailboat plant from the bank, hired about a dozen of the former CNC Yachts employees and began developing new models.  Business was slow in the first year or two.  By 1994 Neptunus was the only builder making yachts of any significant size in Canada.  Their decision to dive in had started to pay off and they had seven boats in production. By 1999, the all-new 54 Express introduced a complete new concept.  The design featured a full-height sliding glass door in the aft under a fully enclosed hard-top.  “Back then, it was an industry leader – now everybody has one – perhaps we should have patented it,” Jan laughed as he recounted the story to me. Between 1995 and 1999, Neptunus came out with a 65 and a 70 foot express motor yacht, with everything from the mold to the finished product built right there at the factory from start to finish.  “By 2000, we had grown to 60 employees and in 2001 the company was sold to an investor out of Oakville.  I was running production from 2001 to 2004, and in 2004 I was promoted to the VP of Sales and Marketing,” Jan shared proudly as he recounted the history. “By 2007, our workforce had grown to 110 employees.  Then everything changed seemingly overnight – more like in four to five months – but it felt like overnight.  The economic crash of 2008 hit the entire boat-building industry hard.  Banks weren’t lending money, you couldn’t sell your product all because of the collapse of the housing market in the USA, the Canadian dollar got really strong, and oil hit an all-time high.” Neptunus Yachts, unlike many boat manufacturers, survived mostly through great management, no inventory to carry (the two boats in production were both sold by the end of 2008), cutting staff to less than ten employees, and a second investor (who bought the company in 2008) “…who was able to keep the doors open and the lights on,” Jan said.

Better Times

Looking Forward

Highest Industry Standard Possible

There are a few world-wide standards under which boat and yachts are classified.  The North American traditional standard that most boaters would be familiar with is ABYC (American Boat and Yacht Council) .  The European standard is the CE certification which has four levels – “A” thru “D”.  Neptunus Yachts builds every one of their boats to the CE “A” classification which basically means ‘unlimited offshore’ – capable of running in 4 metre or 12 foot seas.  It’s the highest standard in the entire industry.  It requires a complete re-design of the vessel from the thickness of the fiberglass, to the fire-suppression system, to the entire electrical harness and systems, to the noise suppression, and every on-board safety measure.  The result is a yacht that is self-sufficient in hostile seas.

The Yacht Itself:  The 650 Express

The delivery difference.

At present, there are 38 production staff plus 5 more office staff that are the heart of Neptunus Yachts.  Of their past six new boat orders, four came from previous Neptunus owners and two are new customers.  “We’ve just received an order for a 2017 delivery that will take us eight months to build.  That customer, like most, will come to the plant about five to six times to see their new boat in production and take photos so they have a full story on their boat,” Jan said. “At Neptunus, we are a small custom boat builder who builds to the highest standards in the industry at a competitive price.”        

Related Post

2024 armada drakkar, 2024 barletta reserve 26 uc, 2024 avro flight deck.

• Board of Directors
• Advisors to the Board
• Members Benefits
• How to Join
• Code of Ethics
• Getting your Licence
• Owning a Boat
• Renting A Boat
• Safety Is Simple
• Responsible Boating
• Boating Activities
• Destinations
• Toronto Boat Show
• Why boat at Clean Marine rated facility?
• Top 10 Environmental Requirements of a Clean Marine Facility
• Clean Marine Ambassadors
• Refueling Tips
• Boat Disposal
• Job Postings
• MarineWorx Development Fund & Scholarships
• Marine Personnel Training

Neptunus Yachts

About neptunus yachts.

Neptunus Yachts has a proud tradition of building world leading semi-custom yachts that are rich in style and detail, yet designed for dependability and performance. From its roots as a Dutch builder of motor yachts with a 40 year heritage, Neptunus has grown to be a leading North American manufacturer of luxury yachts from 50 to 80 feet in length. Over the years Neptunus has earned a reputation by passionately building quality vessels that are unique to each owner. Superior customer satisfaction is evidenced by the fact that many Neptunus owners are now on their second or third Neptunus yacht.

The Neptunus shipyard is located in St. Catharines Ontario, only 45 minutes from the Buffalo airport. The 72,000 square foot facility on 7 acres is near both the Welland Canal and Lake Ontario, and is staffed with skilled trades people, many of whom have more than 20 years experience in the yacht building industry. Their skill and commitment are the foundation of each and every vessel that we deliver.

Products & Services

Member Employees

Jan Willem De Jong

Company contact.

• Boats for Sale

New and used Neptunus boats for sale

• Netherlands
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Neptunus 106
• Neptunus 108 Express
• Neptunus 129 AK Fly
• Neptunus 129 Express
• Neptunus 129 Expresse
• Neptunus 138 Sedan
• Neptunus 145
• Neptunus 145 Sedan Fly
• Neptunus 168 Fly
• Neptunus 36
• Neptunus 5616
• Neptunus 58
• Neptunus Carlton
• Neptunus Neptunus 41 Sport

Find your perfect Neptunus today. We have Neptunus brokers and sellers from around the world at great prices.

History of Neptunus

Neptunus is an internationally recognised yacht manufacturer with an illustrious history that dates back to 1970. Founded by Dutch entrepreneurs Jan Bart and Wies Beers, the company made a strong market entry with its exceptional line of high-quality, luxury yachts. Inspired by their love of seafaring, the founders named the company after the Roman god of water and the sea, reflecting the grace, strength and prowess of the company's boats. Originating in Aalst, a quaint village near the Maas river in the Netherlands, the company skillfully cultivated a respected name in the maritime industry, growing to be one of the premier builders of luxury yachts globally.Responding to the growing global demand for luxury watercraft, Neptunus expanded its operations to St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, in the mid-1990s. This move not only provided easy access to the rich North American market but also allowed the company to leverage the region's advanced shipbuilding technologies and skilled personnel. Today, Neptunus proudly carries a rich Dutch legacy while integrating sophisticated Canadian craftsmanship in their yacht manufacturing process.Presently, Neptunus is widely hailed for its state-of-the-art designs, attention to detail, tailored interior layouts, and advanced marine technologies. The company has consistently managed to stay ahead of its time by integrating innovative design components in its yacht models, ensuring they provide unmatched sailing experiences for their customers. Guided by its founding principle of crafting boats with an unrivalled degree of comfort and performance, Neptunus continues to shape the future of luxury yachting from its Canadian base.

Which models do Neptunus produce?

Neptunus produce a range of boats including the Neptunus 36 . For the full list of Neptunus models currently listed on TheYachtMarket.com, see the model list in the search options on this page.

What types of boats do Neptunus build?

Neptunus manufactures a range of different types of boats. The ones listed on TheYachtMarket include Cruiser , Motoryacht , Flybridge motor cruiser , Express cruiser / sports cruiser and Cabin cruiser .

How much does a boat from Neptunus cost?

Used boats from Neptunus on TheYachtMarket.com range in price from £49,000 GBP to £565,000 GBP with an average price of £156,000 GBP . A wide range of factors can affect the price of used boats from Neptunus, for example the model, age and condition.

Sign up to our newsletter

By submitting this form, you agree to our Privacy & Cookie Policy

Change units of measure

This feature requires cookies to be enabled on your browser.

Show price in:

Show lengths, beam and draft in:

Show displacement or weight in:

Show capacity or volume in:

Show speed in:

Show distance in:

• Frank Magazine
• Denison History
• Virtual Tours
• Alaskan Yachts
• Azimut Yachts
• Back Cove Yachts
• Beneteau Yachts
• Benetti Superyachts
• Bertram Yachts
• Boston Whaler
• Broward Yachts
• Buddy Davis Sportfish
• Burger Yachts
• Cabo Yachts
• Carver Motoryachts
• Center Console
• Chris-Craft Yachts
• Cruisers Yachts
• DeFever Trawlers
• Dufour Sailboats
• Fairline Yachts
• Feadship Yachts
• Ferretti Yachts
• Formula Yachts
• Fountaine Pajot Cats
• Grady-White
• Grand Banks Trawlers
• Hargrave Yachts
• Hatteras Yachts
• Hinckley Picnic Boats
• Horizon Yachts
• Hydra-Sports
• Intrepid Boats
• Jarrett Bay Sportfish
• Jeanneau Yachts
• Kadey-Krogen Trawlers
• Lazzara Yachts
• Luhrs Sportfish
• Marlow Yachts
• Maritimo Yachts
• Marquis Yachts
• McKinna Motoryachts
• Meridian Yachts
• Midnight Express
• Mochi Craft
• Neptunus Motoryachts
• Nordhavn Trawlers
• Nordic Tugs
• Ocean Alexander Yachts
• Offshore Yachts
• Oyster Sailing Yachts
• Pacific Mariner Yachts
• Palmer Johnson Yachts
• Pershing Yachts
• Prestige Yachts
• Princess Yachts
• Pursuit Yachts
• Riva Yachts
• Riviera Yachts
• Sabre Downeast
• San Lorenzo Yachts
• Sea Ray Boats
• SeaVee Central Consoles
• Selene Trawlers
• Scout Yachts
• Sunseeker Yachts
• Tiara Yachts
• Trinity Superyachts
• Viking Yachts
• Westport Yachts

65 Neptunus 2017 Yacht for Sale

Asking price: $2,749,000.

• Yachts for sale
• motoryachts
• 65' Neptunus

Last updated Oct 23, 2023

65' Neptunus 2017

This 2017 Neptunus 650E is in Bristol condition from bow to stern. She has three staterooms and two heads, and her interior is graced with contemporary cherry joinery throughout.

The salon features rich appointments including opposing leather seating and a fully-integrated flip down TV. The multi-panel sliding glass doors to the interior, the electric opening sunroof, and the electric sunshade aft all add to your connection with the surroundings. 

The full-beam master stateroom has a king bed and a walk-in cedar lined closet. On this yacht the starboard guest cabin was custom built to include a queen bed and an office desk.

With twin CAT C-18 engines (1136HP each), this 2017 Neptunus 650E cruises comfortably at 26 knots. This yacht is fully equipped with twin 16” multi-function displays, 15HP proportional bow and stern thrusters and a Yacht Controller.

This Neptunus 650E is CE Category A – Ocean certified.

• In Bristol condition from bow to stern
• CE Category “A” – Ocean Certified Vessel
• Neptunus 650 Series hulls incorporate two layers of Kevlar
• 15 HP proportional bow and stern thrusters
• Yacht Controller with joystick
• Dual Raymarine 16″ gS Series Multifunction Displays
• Raymarine Radar Array – 12kW, 4′ Scanner
• Three stateroom, two head layout
• Custom extended starboard guest stateroom with queen bed and desk
• Contemporary cherry joinery throughout
• Opposing leather seating in salon
• Electric sun shade and electric opening sunroof
• Mahogany table on aft deck
• Teak laid cockpit, steps to swim platform
• High speed fuel fills for both tanks on port & starboard
• Well appointed crew’s quarters
• Vessel location: St. Catharines, Ontario

Vessel Interior

• Enhanced starboard guest cabin with queen bed and custom desk
• Contemporary cherry woodwork throughout the vessel
• Salon features rich appointments including leather sofas
• Starboard sofa has two fold-out footrests
• Fully integrated flip-down TV in salon
• Interior LED lighting
• Hardwood flooring in salon, galley, dinette and hallways, carpet in staterooms
• Electric opening sunroof
• Opening side window in both galley and dinette
• Quartz countertops
• JennAir two drawer fridge
• JennAir two drawer unit with one fridge drawer, one freezer/icemaker drawer
• Ceramic 4-burner stove top, 24″ oven, convection microwave, dishwasher in galley
• JennAir Beverage Center on port side of galley
• Full beam master stateroom with king bed and twin cedar-lined closets
• Walk-in cedar-lined closet in master stateroom
• Safe under master stateroom bed
• Master stateroom features large Neptunus signature windows with opening ports
• Stacked washer/dryer in hallway to master stateroom
• Crew’s quarters with berth, shower, toilet and sink

Vessel Certification

Mechanical and Deck Equipment

• Twin CAT C-18 ACERT engines, 1136 HP each (1150 hours)
• 21kW CAT generator with sound enclosure (1250 hours)
• Generator has water/gas separator, water exits the hull 1″ below waterline
• 15 HP proportional bow thruster (Side-Power)
• 15 HP proportional stern thruster (Side-Power)
• 50 amp Victron battery charger for 24V house system
• 30 amp 24V Victron battery charger for engine start and thruster batteries
• 12V Victron charger for generator battery
• 3000 watt Victron inverter
• Dual Charles IsoBoost transformers 12kVA with remote display
• 2 4D batteries for engine start
• 4 8D batteries for house system
• 2 4D batteries for each thruster
• Chilled water air conditioning system – three (3) 24,000 BTU units with underwater discharge
• High speed fuel fills for both fuel tanks on port, and also on starboard
• LED courtesy lights for all steps/risers
• Cockpit perimeter LED lights all around
• Two windshield wipers
• Teak decking on cockpit and steps to swim platform
• High gloss mahogany table for cockpit with stainless steel pedestals
• Electric sun shade for aft deck, fully integrated into hardtop
• Heavy duty stainless steel railings
• Maxwell 3500 electric windlass with 170′ galvanized chain
• 66lb. stainless steel anchor
• Eight heavy duty mooring cleats, two cross-tie cleats
• Air horn by KahlenBerg
• Hydraulic swim platform with teak, rated for 850 lb. dinghy
• Aluminum sliding dinghy cradles with tie downs
• Center transom door for entry to crew cabin
• Dual 24V water pressure pumps with accumulator
• Dual Racor fuel filter system with vacuum gauges
• Six bilge pumps with high water alarms, three with counters at helm
• Stainless steel propeller shafts with maintenance free, water-lubricated cutlass bearings
• Black windshield netting (front only)
• Five-bladed Nibral propellers
• Oil change system for engines, transmissions and generator
• Dual 50 Amp shore power connections, two Cablemasters with 75′ of shorepower cable each
• Three underwater lights
• Five layers of Interlux 2000 and two layers of Interlux CSC anti-fouling bottom paint

Navigation Electronics

• Dual Raymarine 16″ gS Series Displays
• Raymarine Radar – 12kW, 4′ Scanner
• Raymarine I70 Display for depth/speed
• Simrad AP70 Autopilot
• Raymarine Satellite TV Antenna System (wired for 4 customer-supplied receivers)
• Cockpit camera (1) and engine room cameras (2)
• Raymarine Class B AIS receiver
• Dual Raymarine GPS antennas
• Raymarine weather channel receiver
• Dual Icom M424 VHF
• Ritchie SS2000 magnetic compass
• Custom Ship Display panel at helm

Entertainment Systems

• 46″ LED Samsung TV in Salon
• 32″ LED TV in master stateroom
• 24″ LED TV in forward VIP stateroom
• 24″ LED TV in guest stateroom
• Bose V35 System in salon
• Blu-ray player in salon
• Bose Wave radios in master and VIP cabins
• JL audio speakers for aft deck (2)  and crew cabin
• 24″ HD LED TV in crew cabin
• Off-Air HDTV antenna inside Raymarine empty dome
• Personal effects and tools are not included.

The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.

Denison Yachting is pleased to assist you in the purchase of this vessel. This boat is centrally listed by Neptunus Yachts International Inc.

Denison Yacht Sales offers the details of this yacht in good faith but can’t guarantee the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of this boat for sale. This yacht for sale is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal from that yacht market without notice. She is offered as a convenience by this yacht broker to its clients and is not intended to convey direct representation of a specific yacht for sale.

INQUIRE ABOUT 65' NEPTUNUS

Have questions about this yacht? Fill out the form below and our team of experts will contact you soon.

Your privacy is important to us. Find out how we protect it. Privacy Policy

First-Time Yacht Buyer?

Read our guide to learn the process for buying this 65' Neptunus

65' Neptunus HIGHLIGHTS

• Yacht Details: 65' Neptunus 2017
• Location: Saint Catharines, ON, Canada
• Engines: Caterpillar
• Last Updated: Oct 23, 2023
• Asking Price: $2,749,000
• Maximum Speed: 31 kn
• Max Draft: 4' 8''

65' Neptunus additional information

• Cruising Speed: 26 kn
• Beam: 16' 7''
• Hull Material: Fiberglass
• Fuel Tank: 1 x 1100|gallon
• Fresh Water: 1 x 300|gallon
• Holding: 1 x 130|gallon

Schedule a Tour of 65' NEPTUNUS Yacht

Contact our team to schedule a private showing.

SIMILAR YACHTS FOR SALE View All

78' van der valk 2016, lighthouse point, fl, us, 78' fairline 2015, key west, fl, us, 78' maori 2013, saint tropez, 06, france, 78' azimut 2017, a coruna, es-c, spain, 78' azimut 2018, campania, italy, 78' numarine 2019, miami beach, fl, us, 78' sanlorenzo 2018, west palm beach, fl, us, other neptunus yachts for sale view all, 54' neptunus 1999, fort lauderdale, fl, us, 58' neptunus 2010, destin, fl, us, still crabby, 56' neptunus 2003, essex, ct, us, midnight lady, 56' neptunus 2006, stuart, fl, us, 65' neptunus 2025, saint catharines, on, canada, 47' neptunus 2000, clearwater, fl, us, 62' neptunus 2005, waukegan, il, us, price watch.

Love this yacht? Get notified on price reductions and other related updates.

Our Newsletter

Stay informed on all things yachting, including notable sales, industry updates, events, and boating tips with our newsletters.

motoryachts News

Read the latest motoryachts news and stay up to date on related events.

RELATED SERVICES

LOGIN OR REGISTER

Hi, welcome back.

Login and pick up from where you left off.

Creating an account allows you to save and compare your favorite yachts.

By creating an account you agree to the terms of use and our privacy policy.

Founded in 2003

Timmerman Yachts is a Russian builder of quality luxury motor yachts. Based in Moscow, it is owned by a group of Dutch and Russian investors and operates out of Moscow Shipyard. Several noted naval architecture and yacht design firms are involved with Timmerman, including Vripack, Guido de Groot Design, Ginton Naval Architects, Jon Bannenberg Ltd., and Francis Design Ltd.

Founded in 2003, the company was named for 17th century Dutch boat builder Franz Timmerman who brought Dutch boat manufacturing techniques to Russia and co-founded the Russian navy. Timmerman Yachts has more than 1,000 employees working at the Moscow Shipyard.

Timmerman has delivered a number of semi-custom luxury yachts between 26-47 metres in length, including TM26 and Timmerman FD-51, designed by Francis Design Ltd. Other notable Timmerman yachts include Victoria M, Alexandra (now Latitude) and Olsten 125′.

One of the 10 largest yacht builders in the world, Timmerman is focused on building high-quality luxury yachts at more competitive prices. Its Russian-Dutch partnership provides great yacht-building capabilities. Timmerman builds yacht to the highest standards and holds DNV, MCA and Russian River Register certification. The company reportedly has more than a dozen yachts in some phase of construction.

Yachts built by Timmerman

Targeting super yachts owned by Russian oligarchs could hit a nerve in Moscow

Poor transparency around ownership of assets can cause challenges, experts say.

Social Sharing

With sanctions levied and financial assets seized, Russian oligarchs have been scrambling to get their super yachts out of Western ports in search of safer harbours. 

One yacht, said to belong to Russian President Vladimir Putin himself, abruptly left port in Hamburg, Germany, just weeks before the Russian invasion of Ukraine prompted wide-reaching sanctions. Others were not so quick to leave European ports. 

Authorities in La Ciotat, on France's Mediterranean coast, seized a yacht they say is linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch Igor Sechin, the CEO of state oil company Rosneft. He was Russia's deputy prime minister from 2008 to 2012.

• Canada slaps sanctions on Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich
• Analysis With Russia pressing on and Ukraine digging in, how will Putin's war actually end?

Industry watchers say oligarchs everywhere are trying to keep their yachts from being taken.

​​"There's a few yachts that we are watching at the moment in the Atlantic," said Sam Tucker, head of super yachts at the firm VesselsValue, which tracks and estimates the value of these giant luxury yachts. 

"I'm expecting some of them to start doing U-turns in the middle of the ocean," he told CBC Radio's Day 6 .

Western countries have imposed a punishing package of sanctions and export control restrictions on Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Russia's biggest banks were hit, as was the country's central bank. Major state-owned companies and some of the country's wealthiest individuals have seen overseas assets frozen.

The investment bank JP Morgan Chase believes Russia's economy will shrink 35 per cent in the second quarter of 2022 and seven per cent for the entire year.

White House spokesperson Jen Psaki says the suite of sanctions is meant to make every aspect of life difficult on Putin and the oligarchs who protect him.

"What we're talking about here is seizing their assets, seizing their yachts and making it harder for them to send their children to go to colleges and universities in the West," Psaki said in a briefing this week. "These are significant steps that will impact the people who are closely around President Putin."

<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Putin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Putin</a>´s Yacht "The Gracefull" inbound Kaliningrad from Hamburg in anticipation of future sanctions due to the conflict in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a>. <a href="https://t.co/qdhAUhCH1m">pic.twitter.com/qdhAUhCH1m</a> &mdash; @GDarkconrad

Symbolic target

The yachts themselves are worth hundreds of millions of dollars, but experts in Russian sanctions say this isn't just about the dollar value.

"They don't have much value compared to the total net worth of an oligarch," said Bill Browder, a long-time advocate for stiff sanctions against Russian oligarchs, in an email to CBC Radio. 

But they are "a highly symbolic attack on something coveted by the oligarchs."

These ultra-luxurious ships became a status symbol for the oligarchs as they amassed fortunes in the 1990s and early 2000s.

"There is a bit of oneupmanship," Tucker told Day 6 . He says the biggest and most expensive ships are cloaked in secrecy. They have extreme privacy and security features, including bulletproof glass, and some require crew to sign non-disclosure agreements.

But Tucker says the biggest security and privacy feature of all is the opaque ownership structure of the yachts. He says precious little information about who actually owns these ships is available.

"[Only] basic information is disclosed — for example, the registered owner — which is often a shell company or a 'special interest vehicle' registered in Monaco, Malta, [or the] Cayman Islands," he said.

Untying those knots is a notorious problem, but one usually confined to taxation issues.

"One thing that I think may come out of this whole situation is the increased call for transparency and transparent ownership," said Tucker.

Yachts on the move

So far, only four super yachts have been seized, including a 213-foot yacht owned by Alexei Mordashov in Imperia, Italy.

While authorities sift through the byzantine paper trail of ownership, other oligarchs have scrambled their crews to get the yachts to somewhere safe.

"One of the things I've been trying to figure out is, where do they go [next]?" asked Alex Finley, a former CIA officer living in Barcelona, in an interview with  As It Happens host Gillian Findlay .

This week, Finley tweeted photos tracking a ship said to be owned by Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire who owns the Chelsea Football Club.

• Anxious Russians flee by the hundreds each day into neighbouring Finland

"A lot of these yachts that we've been looking at are heading towards the Maldives or the Seychelles. A few are in Montenegro, but they look like they're probably going to be on the move," Finley said in the interview .

Here you can see the sterns of both Aurora and Valerie, and in the other pic, the empty slip where Solaris used to be (which is the size of the empty hole in my heart). 7/ <a href="https://t.co/Luvj5vyWXp">pic.twitter.com/Luvj5vyWXp</a> &mdash; @alexzfinley

Neither the Maldives nor the Seychelles signed onto the sanctions, so the ships are probably safe from seizure there. Another major hub is Dubai.

"I think we're going to see Dubai as a big hotspot for these yachts," said Tucker. "It has hot weather all year round and … Russians can fly to Dubai without going through the EU airspace."

Tucker agrees that targeting the yachts is a symbolic move.

"It's really sending the message that they aren't untouchable. We've closed the skies on both sides of the Atlantic so their private jets can't operate, and now we're going after their super yachts," he said.

"I'd be feeling quite vulnerable if I was an oligarch right now."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Senior Business Reporter

Peter Armstrong is a senior business reporter for CBC News. A former host of On the Money and World Report on CBC Radio, he was previously a foreign correspondent and parliamentary reporter for CBC. Subscribe to Peter's newsletter here: cbc.ca/mindyourbusiness Twitter: @armstrongcbc

Interview with Sam Tucker produced by Rachel Levy-Mclaughlin

Related Stories

• U.K. imposes sanctions on Chelsea's Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich

Add some “good” to your morning and evening.

Your weekly look at what’s happening in the worlds of economics, business and finance. Senior business correspondent Peter Armstrong untangles what it means for you, in your inbox Monday mornings.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Google Terms of Service apply.

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Newsletters
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Russian billionaires' yachts and private jets are still traversing the globe despite tough sanctions from the US and its allies

Private jets and yachts belonging to Russian oligarchs are still criss-crossing the globe.

They've evaded sanctions from global powers in retaliation for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

If that changes, those high-end assets could be frozen, rendering them unusable.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing economic sanctions against the nation's elite haven't deterred some of its wealthiest citizens from continuing to traverse the globe in megayachts and private jets — at least not yet.

Bloomberg's Benjamin Stupples and Tom Maloney reported Friday that aircraft owned by Russian billionaires continue to fly in and out of Moscow. Jets belonging to Dmitry Mazepin, chairman of chemical firm Uralchem, and steel baron Alexey Mordashov both landed in Moscow Thursday, with Mazepin's aircraft flying in from New York on a Gulfstream G650 and Mordashov's Bombardier Global 6000 arriving from the Seychelles.

Mordashov, with a net worth of $23 billion, is Russia's second-richest person. He also owns the $500 million megayacht Nord, which is currently cruising around the East African island nation, according to Bloomberg.

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich also flew into Moscow from an airport near Monte Carlo last week aboard his Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, Bloomberg reports. Abramovich — who's worth roughly $14 billion , according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index — is the largest shareholder of Russian steelmaker Evraz and the owner of Chelsea Football Club. Amid growing backlash to his ownership of the club, Abramovich announced Saturday that he would hand off stewardship of the team to the club's charitable foundation, though he remains the team's owner.

Beyond his private jet, Abramovich also owns a fleet of megayachts, including the Eclipse, which is among the world's largest yachts, and the Solaris, which is said to be one of the most expensive custom yachts ever built . The Solaris is currently being refitted at a shipyard in Barcelona, The Guardian reported .

Two other Russian-owned megayachts are currently moored in Barcelona: the 242-foot Aurora, owned by billionaire Andrey Molchanov, and the 230-foot Galactica Super Nova, which is owned by oil and gas company Lukoil CEO Vagit Alekperov, The Guardian reported.

Russian oligarchs are known for owning some of the world's most expensive private aircraft and sailing vessels in addition to high-end real estate and purchases like Abramovich's Premier League club. But many of those ultra-wealthy Russians have avoided becoming ensnared by sanctions from the US, UK, and European Union, leaving them free to continue jet-setting.

While some of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle have already been the target of stiff sanctions, the yachts and jets of the super-rich could be further targeted in the future — if that comes to pass, those assets would be frozen and rendered unusable, Stacy Keen, a sanctions expert at law firm Pinsent Masons, told The Guardian.

In the case of the yachts currently docked in Spain, for example, EU businesses wouldn't be allowed to service the yacht in any capacity, whether that's providing fuel or staffing the crew, Keen said.

"In effect, the yacht wouldn't be able to function," she said.

CNBC's Brian Schwartz reported Monday that multiple billionaires, including Lukoil's Alekperov, are currently moving their yachts toward Montenegro and the Maldives, possibly with the aim of avoiding them being frozen or seized.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Recommended Stories

Danny jansen makes mlb history by playing for red sox and blue jays in same game.

Boston Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen became the first MLB player to play for two teams in the same game when he batted in Monday's matchup vs. the Toronto Blue Jays.

Little League World Series: Florida wins extra-innings championship thriller over Taiwan on chaotic walk-off bunt

The championship is the first for a team from Florida in nine trips to the LLWS final.

Zion Williamson's apparent weight loss draws attention on social media

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson appears to have lost notable weight during the offseason, based on photos taken at his basketball camp in South Carolina.

Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong zooms around bases in 14 seconds for inside-the-park home run

Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete-Crow Armstrong showed serious speed in running out an inside-the-park home run

Caitlin Clark's Next WNBA Game: How to watch the Indiana Fever vs. Atlanta Dream game tonight

Watch Caitlin Clark's next WNBA game when the Indiana Fever play the Atlanta Dream tonight.

Mortgage and refinance rates today, August 26, 2024: Should you get a fixed or adjustable rate?

These are today's mortgage and refinance rates. ARM rates are starting higher than fixed ones, so a fixed-rate loan may be a better fit. Lock in your rate today.

Kerr out at Team USA, Zion slims down & our favorite under-the-radar offseason moves | No Cap Room

Jake Fischer and Dan Devine talk their way through the late August NBA news cycle and list off their favorite under-the-radar moves from this NBA offseason.

Aaron Judge’s pursuit of 74 HRs, Shohei Ohtani looking at 50-50 | Baseball Bar-B-Cast

Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman discuss if Aaron Judge could one day set the MLB single season record for home runs, if Shohei Ohtani can reach the 50-50 club this season and recap all the action from the weekend in baseball.

Shohei Ohtani is 'fine' after X-rays following hit-by-pitch reveal no structural damage

"It's really scary," manager Dave Roberts said. "You always hold your breath."

MLB umpire Nick Mahrley carted off field after Giancarlo Stanton's broken bat hit him in the head

Stanton's bat snapped at the handle, and the barrel hit Mahrley in the side of his head.

The Kansas City Chiefs' cheerleaders are wearing cuffs to honor former squad member Krystal Anderson following her death: 'She was always sparkling'

Anderson suffered a cardiac arrest after contracting sepsis following a stillbirth. Now her death is drawing attention to the Black maternal mortality criss.

These cars have the shortest driving range after a low fuel warning

MarketWatch's recent research showed that while some vehicles offer a decent amount of driving range with a low fuel light on, others could leave you stranded.

Falcons saw enough of Michael Penix Jr. last week that he won't play again this preseason

Michael Penix Jr. is done for the preseason, Raheem Morris said.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani throws first pitches off mound after UCL surgery

Shohei Ohtani officially became the fastest player in league history to join the 40-40 club on Friday night.

Wake up! 10 deep sleepers to target in your drafts | Yahoo Fantasy Forecast

'Convictions Week' rolls on with Andy Behrens back in the host chair and Sal Vetri joining him to identify the 10 deep sleepers you need to target later in your drafts. Behrens and Vetri pick players from each skill position that are set up to severely out-kick their ADP. The two also discuss players to target for Yahoo's million dollar sweepstakes with NBC. They end the show answering your pressing draft questions in the fantasy mailbag.

Bust alert! 13 players to avoid early in your drafts | Yahoo Fantasy Forecast

It's officially 'Convictions Week' on the pod as we provide our most definitive takes of draft season. Matt Harmon is joined by Yahoo Fantasy's resident hater Dan Titus to identify potential busts in each round of your draft. While both make it clear they don't think the guys they pick will have awful seasons, they do offer reasons why each of their picks won't meet the expectations of their current ADP. The two also end the show by answering your questions in the fantasy mailbag.

Researchers discover potentially catastrophic exploit present in AMD chips for decades

Researchers discovered a potentially catastrophic vulnerability in AMD chips that has been there for decades. It’s called a ‘Sinkclose’ flaw.

Stock market news today: Stocks soar, Nvidia surges 12%, as Fed, Powell pave way for September rate cut

A tech revival helped lift stocks, as investors digest the Federal Reserve's decision to hold interest rates steady.

US crackdown on advanced chips gives China an opening on old technology

The US has focused on building domestic supply chains for advanced semiconductors. Now, China is rapidly expanding its own manufacturing capacity for less advanced but more widely used chips.

Cache Energy's mysterious white pellets could help kill coal and natural gas

In response, scientists and engineers have been racing to find inexpensive ways to store that power for later, ultimately hoping to store renewable energy so that it’s available 24/7 and at a price that’ll put coal and natural gas out of business. Cache Energy is the latest startup to attempt the feat, and it’s taking a slightly different tack than most. Rather than store power as heat using sand or specially made bricks, Cache is storing it in chemical bonds inside pellets made of lime derived from limestone.

BREAKING: Pro wrestling legend Sid Eudy, known by fans as Sid Vicious, dies of cancer at 63

Luxury yachts and other myths: How Republican lawmakers echo Russian propaganda

Two senior Republican lawmakers, the chairs of the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees, say their colleagues are echoing Russian state propaganda against Ukraine.

Researchers who study disinformation say Reps. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, and Michael McCaul, R-Texas, are merely acknowledging what has been clear for some time: Russian propaganda aimed at undermining U.S. and European support for Ukraine has steadily seeped into America’s political conversation over the past decade, taking on a life of its own.

McCaul, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Puck News he thinks “Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States, unfortunately, and it’s infected a good chunk of my party’s base.”

Turner, chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, told CNN that anti-Ukraine messages from Russia are “being uttered on the House floor.”

For the past decade, since Russia’s first military incursion into Ukraine in 2014, Moscow has spread propaganda and disinformation in a bid to undercut U.S. and European military support for Ukraine, according to U.S. and Western officials.

Some of the arguments, distortions and falsehoods spread by Russia have taken root, mostly among right-wing pro-Trump outlets and Republican politicians, researchers say, including that Ukraine’s government is too corrupt to benefit from Western aid and that the Biden family has alleged corrupt ties to Ukraine.

Russia, in keeping with traditional propaganda techniques, seeks to make its case and tarnish Ukraine through a mixture of outright falsehoods, half-truths, inferences or simply amplifying and promoting arguments already being made by American or European commentators and politicians, researchers say.

The propaganda is sometimes spread covertly, through fake online accounts, or openly by Russian officials and state media. As a result, the origin of some allegations or criticisms is often opaque, especially when a certain accusation or perception has gained wide acceptance, leaving no clear fingerprints.

Early in the war, a false story boosted by Russian propaganda — that the U.S. had helped Ukraine build biological weapons labs — gained traction on right-wing social media and was touted by then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Russia also is conducting a parallel propaganda campaign in Europe. Belgium’s prime minister said Thursday that his government is investigating alleged Russian bribes to members of the European Parliament as part of Moscow’s campaign to undermine support for Ukraine. Czech law enforcement officials last month alleged that a former pro-Russian member of Ukraine’s parliament, Viktor Medvedchuk, was behind a Prague-based Russian propaganda network designed to promote opposition to aiding Ukraine.

Here are some examples of Republican lawmakers using arguments often promoted by Russian propaganda:

Buying yachts

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with members of Congress behind closed doors in December to appeal for more U.S. help for his country’s troops, some lawmakers raised questions about Ukraine allegedly buying yachts with American aid money.

Zelenskyy made clear that was not the case, according to Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a strong supporter of arming Ukraine. “I think the notion of corruption came up because some have said we can’t do it, because people will buy yachts with the money,” Tillis told CNN. “[Zelenskyy] disabused people of those notions.”

Where did the yacht rumor come from?

Pro-Russian actors and websites promoted a narrative alleging Zelenskyy bought two superyachts with U.S. aid dollars. One Russia-based propaganda site, DC Weekly , published a story last November that included photos of two luxury yachts, called Lucky Me and My Legacy , which it alleged were bought for $75 million.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a vocal opponent of military aid to Ukraine, in November retweeted a post about the alleged yacht purchase from the Strategic Culture Foundation, a Russian-based propaganda outlet directed by Russia’s intelligence services, according to the Treasury Department. The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the organization, accusing it of spreading disinformation and interfering in U.S. elections.

Another outspoken critic of aid to Ukraine, Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, also made a similar claim.

In a December interview with former President Donald Trump’s White House adviser Steve Bannon, Vance claimed that members of Congress wanted to cut Social Security benefits to provide more aid to Ukraine, and that money would allegedly be used for Zelenskyy’s ministers to “buy a bigger yacht.”

“There are people who would cut Social Security, throw our grandparents into poverty. Why? So that one of Zelenskyy’s ministers can buy a bigger yacht?” Vance said. “Kiss my ass, Steve. It’s not happening.”

The tale of Zelenskyy’s luxury yacht, however, turned out to be totally false . The yachts cited in the DC Weekly article remain up for sale , the owners told The Associated Press.

Two academics at Clemson University, disinformation researchers Darren Linvill and Patrick Warren, found that DC Weekly ran numerous stories copied from other sites that were rewritten by artificial intelligence engines. The articles had bylines with fake names along with headshots copied from other online sites. DC Weekly appeared to be a Russian effort to launder false information through a seemingly legitimate news site as part of an attempt to undermine U.S. support for Ukraine, according to the researchers .

Asked by reporters about Vance’s comments, Tillis said: “I think it’s bullshit. ...If you’re talking about giving money to Ukrainian ministers — total and unmitigated bullshit.”

Greene’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Vance’s spokesperson said the senator was making a rhetorical point about how he opposed sending U.S. assistance to what he sees as a corrupt country, but was not asserting the yacht stories online were accurate.

Vance’s office referred NBC News to an earlier response to the BBC on the same topic:

“For years, everyone in the West recognized that Ukraine was one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Somehow everyone forgot that just as we started sending them billions of dollars in foreign aid.”

Enabling ‘corruption’

Russian state media for years has painted Ukraine as deeply corrupt, and has argued that the U.S. and its allies are wasting money and military hardware by assisting such an allegedly corrupt government.

“This is absolutely a line that they have pushed, and then once it appears in the Western ecosystem, other [Russian] media picks it up and it gets recycled back,” said Bret Schafer, a senior fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy.

This line of argument has gained traction partly because Ukraine does face a genuine corruption problem.

Russia’s effort to focus attention on corruption in Ukraine reflects a long-established propaganda method of using facts or partial truths to anchor a broader assertion or accusation, sometimes making a leap in logic, Schafer and other researchers said. Russia’s message amounts to: Ukraine is corrupt, therefore U.S. and Western aid will be stolen and wasted.

Schafer said it was ironic for Russia, a country mired in corruption and kleptocracy, to be leveling accusations about corruption.

Republican Rep. Mary Miller has said she strongly opposes more assistance for Ukraine because it amounts to sending cash to “corrupt oligarchs.”

“With Zelensky coming to DC this week to ask for more money, I will continue to vote AGAINST sending your tax $$ to corrupt oligarchs in Ukraine for a proxy war that could have ended in ‘22,” Miller wrote in a post on X in December.

The Illinois lawmaker also echoed another assertion that often appears in Russian media, that the Biden administration allegedly undermined efforts by Russia to avoid war with Ukraine.

 “A peace deal was on the table that [Ukraine] and [Russia] were both ready to sign, but Biden said NO,” she wrote.

There was in fact no proposed peace agreement that Russia and Ukraine were prepared to sign before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to U.S. and European officials. As Russian troops massed on the border of Ukraine, Western governments urged Russia not to invade and warned there would be economic and diplomatic consequences.

Reuters has reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a possible deal to avert a war that had been discussed with Kyiv by Russia’s envoy to Ukraine. The Kremlin said the report was inaccurate and has said Russia tried for years to arrive at an understanding with Ukraine.

As for corruption in Ukraine, Zelenskyy has vowed to tackle the problem, sacking senior officials in some recent cases. But some civil society groups have criticized his approach and Ukrainians say corruption is the country’s second-most serious problem, after the Russian invasion, according to a poll conducted last year.

In an annual survey, Transparency International said Ukraine made progress toward addressing the issue and now ranks 104th out of 180 countries on its Corruption Perceptions Index , climbing 12 places up from its previous ranking.

Ukraine is not alone among countries that receive U.S. and other foreign aid but struggle with corruption. Supporters of assisting Ukraine argue it would undermine America’s influence in the world and its humanitarian efforts if Washington withheld foreign aid from every country where there were reports of corruption.

Miller’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

The Biden family and Ukraine

Republicans have repeatedly alleged that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter have corrupt ties to Ukraine, and that they sought $5 million in bribes from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma to protect the firm from an investigation by Ukraine’s prosecutor general.

There is no credible evidence for the allegations. A key source for the accusations against the Bidens is a former FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, who was arrested in February on federal charges of fabricating the bribery claims. Smirnov says he was fed information by Russian intelligence.

Republicans had heavily promoted Smirnov’s allegations against the Bidens, seeing them as crucial to a planned impeachment effort against the president that has since fizzled .

“In my estimation, that is probably the clearest example of Russian propaganda working its way into the American political system,” said Emerson Brooking, a resident senior fellow at the Digital Forensic Research Lab of the Atlantic Council.

GOP Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona cited the false bribery allegations in expressing his opposition to providing assistance to Ukraine.

“In exchange for … bribe money from Ukraine, Joe Biden has dished out over $100 billion in taxpayer money to fund the war in Ukraine. I will not assist this corruption by sending more money to the authoritarian Ukrainian regime,” Gosar said in a statement in October.

Gosar’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Dan De Luce is a reporter for the NBC News Investigative Unit. 

Syedah Asghar is a Capitol Hill researcher for NBC News and is based in Washington, D.C.