Shevardnadze

The brothers of former first lady Hillary Clinton - Tony and Hugh Rodham - were publicly rebuked by their brother-in-law’s administration for a planned business venture that would entail exporting hazelnuts from the republic of Georgia with assistance from a political rival of Eduard Shevardnadze, who was the country’s president at the time.

The brothers of former first lady Hillary Clinton — Tony and Hugh Rodham — were publicly rebuked by their brother-in-law’s administration for a planned business venture that would entail exporting hazelnuts from the republic of Georgia with assistance from a political rival of Eduard Shevardnadze, who was the country’s president at the time.

The trusting relationship that Shultz had built with Shevardnadze kept the talks on track after Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev dismissed a message Reagan sent on Sept. 4 that said, “I can give you my personal assurance that Mr. Daniloff has no connection whatever with the U.S. Government. If you have been informed otherwise, you have been misinformed.”

Reagan angrily denounced Daniloff’s detention during an Oval Office meeting with Shevardnadze.

Shultz and Shevardnadze ultimately worked out a deal freeing Daniloff in return for the release of Gennadi Zakharov, a Soviet diplomat the FBI had arrested in New York several days before Daniloff was seized.