Menendez says sanctions on Russia's Deripaska should remain

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday urged the Trump administration not to waive or remove sanctions on Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who is accused of crimes ranging from blackmail to murder.

In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Senator Bob Menendez cited reports that Treasury was considering such a move. "I see no reason to remove sanctions against Mr. Deripaska, and until he divests from and relinquishes control of RUSAL and EN+, there is no justification to remove the sanctions on those companies," he wrote.

(Reporting by Tim Ahmann and Doina Chiacu; Editing by David Gregorio)