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Officials Seizing Russian Yachts Now May Steal Americans' Property in the Future
A slippery slope that nobody cares about until it's turned on you.
"Serious legal questions surround the seizures of boats, planes and other property owned by oligarchs," warns George Washington University Law School's Jonathan Turley. "In these largely uncharted waters, many of the owners are likely to get back their yachts and other property after the headlines have receded. The United States and Western countries have considerable authority to seize property, but less authority to keep it. The reason is that, unlike Russia, these countries are bound by property rights and rules of due process."
True, few people harbor much sympathy for Russians of any sort these days; Rep. Eric Swalwell (D–Calif.) infamously called for expelling Russian students from the country. And owning a yacht that can be seized, let alone one worth $90 million, doesn't guarantee much sympathy from the public. But being rich doesn't erase your rights, and it means that you have the resources to defend yourself in ways not always available to regular people subject to official attention.
A slippery slope that nobody cares about until it's turned on you.