Opinion: Liccardo should push for sanctions that would stop the Russian billionaire’s skyscraper

BY DAVE PRICE
Daily Post Editor

Congressman Sam Liccardo needs to help his constituents with an urgent problem. 

Russian businessman Vitaly Yusufov plans to put up a 39-story skyscraper on the former Sunset magazine campus at the corner of Willow and Middlefield roads in Menlo Park. 

This would be the tallest building between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and it would cast a long shadow into the quiet neighborhoods of Palo Alto and Menlo Park.

A loophole in state law called the Builder’s Remedy allows for this tall building that would normally violate local zoning codes.

Here’s where Liccardo could hit a home run for his constituents.

Russian oil money

It’s obvious that Yusufov has inherited his money from his father, former Russian Energy Minister Igor Yusufov. His father faces sanctions in Ukraine and Canada.

But for reasons that are unclear, the Yusufovs aren’t on the U.S. government’s sanctions list. So they’re investing their billions in projects like the Sunset towers. 

That’s right — the country we oppose in this war is freely investing billions of dollars in the United States. 

Call Scott Bessent

Liccardo can stop this project immediately by asking Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to put the Yusufovs on the sanctions list. The moment that happens, the 39-story tower is dead. 

But Liccardo’s actions on this have been baffling.

Liccardo has declined to speak to a reporter for the Daily Post about any efforts he’s made to have sanctions imposed on Yusufov.

Last week, he was one of 152 Democrats in the House to vote “no” on the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 (H.R. 5334). The act still passed, 262-159, on a bipartisan basis. It also passed earlier in the Senate 86-11 and was signed into law.

For what it’s worth, 58 Democrats voted for the bill, so Liccardo is definitely in the minority in his own party’s ranks.

But all is not lost. There’s nothing stopping Liccardo from calling Secretary Bessent today and urging him to put the Yusufovs on the sanctions list.

This issue isn’t going away

If Liccardo doesn’t get the Yusufovs on the sanctions list, this issue could bite him when it hurts the most. Liccardo is assured of winning reelection in November. He’s facing a nobody Republican who can’t even bring himself to return phone calls from the newspaper.

But next year, when the construction cranes go up at 80 Willow and people see how big this building will be, Liccardo will be under enormous pressure. People will be asking him, “Why didn’t you stop this when you had the chance?”

Liccardo could face a primary

The door will be open for a Democrat to challenge him in the 2028 primary. The Mid-Peninsula is full of wealthy Democrats who could finance their own campaign for the House. The campaign theme would be simple — Liccardo let this skyscraper happen. And he’ll lose, badly. And then not even the Yusufovs will have pity upon him.

Editor Dave Price’s column appears on Mondays.

A clarification: The original version of this column suggested that Liccardo declined an interview about why he voted against the Russian sanctions bill. Actually, the Post had been attempting to reach him prior to the vote to discuss sanctions against Yusufov.