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Paul Manafort turns himself in as Trump-Russia inquiry heats up Paul Manafort turns himself in as Trump-Russia inquiry heats up
(about 3 hours later)
Donald’s Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was told to hand himself over to federal authorities, as was one of his former business associates, it was reported on Monday. The special counsel investigation into the Trump campaign’s links to Moscow unveiled its first charges on Monday, alleging collusion with Kremlin-linked Russians, money-laundering and conspiracy to defraud the US government by three of the president’s former aides.
According to the New York Times, Manafort and Rick Gates, who was a junior business partner of Manafort’s, are the first people to face charges in the investigation run by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, and the Trump campaign’s possible collusion in that effort. George Papadopolous, a former campaign foreign policy advisor, pleaded guilty to lying to FBI investigators over his contacts last year with an unnamed Russian professor with close ties to the Russian government who offered “dirt” on Hillary Rodham Clinton and with a woman the professor identified as “Putin’s niece”.
CNN also reported that Manafort would hand himself over on Monday. It is unclear from the charges, which Papadolous pleaded guilty to on October 5, whether the unnamed woman really was related to the Russian president, but Papadopoulos’s contacts with her and the professor led to extensive contacts with Russian officials over organising a Putin-Trump meeting and other high-level exchanges.
Manafort left his apartment in northern Virginia soon after 8am, shielding his face from television cameras. He entered the FBI field office in Washington at 8.15am, accompanied by his lawyer. The special counsel, Robert Mueller, also charged Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort, and another senior campaign operative, Rick Gates, with money laundering, tax evasion and failing to register as agents of foreign interests.
Before becoming Trump’s campaign manager in the summer of 2016, Manafort had extensive business ties to Ukraine, where he represented prominent pro-Moscow figures. The charges were the first issued by Mueller since he was appointed special counsel in May, with broad powers to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion with that effort by members of the Trump campaign.
Gates is said to have been involved in setting up subsidiary companies in Cyprus that received money from east European sources. He also worked for the Trump campaign. Collusion itself is not a crime, unless it rises to the level of espionage or treason. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents about the extent and timing of his contacts with Russians, and about his awareness of their links to the Kremlin.
Manafort was told to quit his campaign post in August 2016, after just five months in the job, after revelations of his business dealings in Ukraine came to light. Sources told the Guardian at the time that Trump had never really bonded with Manafort. His indictment alleges: “the Professor told defendant Papadopoulos about the Russians possessing “dirt” on then-candidate Clinton in late April 2016, more than a month after defendant Papadopoulos had joined the campaign.”
In reaction to the charges, Trump tweeted: “Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren’t Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????”
Shortly after the Papadopoulos guilty plea became public, he added: “...Also, there is NO COLLUSION!”
Ultimately, the question over whether Trump committed “high crimes and misdemeanours” through his camp’s contacts with Moscow during the election will be decided by Congress, where Republicans have a majority in both chambers.
Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence committee said after the charges were made public: “This is just the latest in a series of undisclosed contacts, misleading public statements, potentially compromising information, and highly questionable actions from the time of the Trump campaign that together, remain a cause for deep concern and continued investigation.”
The indictment against Manafort and Gates consists of 12 counts. The first is “conspiracy against the United States”, an overall charge that refers specifically to the failure to inform the government of foreign income and foreign bank accounts, and failing to register lobbying work for foreign interests.
The indictment unsealed in Washington’s federal courthouse focuses on the business activities of the two men before Manafort became Trump’s campaign manager in March 2016, and Gates became a senior campaign fundraiser.
The charges against Manafort and Gates allege the two men worked extensively for political figures and parties in Ukraine and laundered millions of dollars in payment for that work by channelling it through a web of companies, mostly in the US and Cyprus.
They are accused of constructing elaborate schemes to hide their earnings from the US government, and failing to register the foreign interests they were lobbying for.
The indictment alleges $75m in payments flowed through offshore accounts, of which Manafort laundered more than $18m to buy property, goods and services in the US, hiding the income from the government. It says Gates transferred $3m from the offshore accounts to other accounts he controlled.
“In order to hide Ukraine payments from United States authorities, from approximately 2006 to at least 2016, Manafort and Gates laundered the money through scores of United States and foreign corporations, partnerships and bank accounts,” the indictment claims. It notes that Manafort used “his hidden overseas wealth to fund a lavish lifestyle, without paying taxes on that income”.
The charges were approved by a grand jury on Friday. Although the indictment says the two men’s money-making activities lasted until at least 2016, the charges do not mention the role of the two men in the Trump campaign
Trump’s lawyer, Ty Cobb, said there was “no angst at the White House”. Manafort had been warned to expect an indictment and Cobb recently told the New York Times he was confident the former Trump campaign chair had no damaging information on the president to offer in exchange for leniency.
However, the Mueller investigation is widely expected to produce further indictments and many legal observers predicted the investigation would start with charges related to financial crimes as a way of pressuring defendants to provide more information on the Trump team’s relationship with Moscow.
Manafort left his apartment in northern Virginia soon after 8am, shielding his face from television cameras. He entered the FBI field office in Washington at 8.15am, accompanied by his lawyer. An initial arraignment hearing was expected later on Monday morning.
Before becoming Trump’s campaign manager in the summer of 2016, Manafort had extensive business ties to Ukraine, where he represented prominent pro-Moscow figures. Gates joined his firm, Davis Manafort, in 2006.
Both Manafort and Gates were involved in extensive business dealings with a Russian billionaire, Oleg Deripaska, who is close to Vladimir Putin. Deripaska sued them both in the Cayman Islands in 2014, claiming they had taken nearly $19m intended for investments and then failed to account for the money.
Manafort’s relations with Deripaska appeared to revive when the lobbyist was hired by Trump in March 2016. Leaked emails show Manafort offering to provide Deripaska with private briefings on the campaign in July 2016, less than two weeks before Trump accepted the Republican nomination.
The Mueller indictment does not mention Deripaska. Instead, much of it discusses the defendants’ lobbying work for Ukraine’s former president, Viktor Yanukovych, a Putin ally, and his Party of Regions.
Gates was involved in setting up subsidiary companies in Cyprus that received money from east European sources, though he has insisted there was nothing illegal about them. Like Manafort, he worked on the Trump campaign.
Manafort was told to quit his campaign post in August 2016, after just five months in the job, when revelations of his business dealings in Ukraine came to light. Sources told the Guardian at the time Trump never really bonded with Manafort.
Gates remained part of the campaign and worked on the Trump inaugural committee. He was reported to have been a frequent visitor to the White House since the Trump administration took office.Gates remained part of the campaign and worked on the Trump inaugural committee. He was reported to have been a frequent visitor to the White House since the Trump administration took office.
It was unclear what charges the two men are facing. The Mueller investigation is a broad inquiry, covering collusion, as well as money laundering and tax evasion.
A spokesman for Manafort did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.A spokesman for Manafort did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Manafort joined Trump’s insurgent campaign in March 2016, as Republicans faced the possibility of the first contested convention since 1976. The veteran operative helped Trump, who was unprepared for the grinding process of winning delegates, not only win the majority needed but also avoid any unpleasant floor fights in Cleveland. It remains unclear why Manafort, who had focused his business career in eastern Europe, suddenly made his way to the centre of US presidential politics. Former colleagues said his past work as a Republican operative made him a specialist in corralling votes at party conventions. Manafort helped Trump, who was unprepared for the grinding process of winning delegates, not only win the majority needed but also avoid any unpleasant floor fights in Cleveland.
Although Manafort did not formally assume the reins of the Trump campaign until 20 June, when former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was fired, Lewandowski said after his ejection: “Paul Manafort has been in operational control of the campaign since 7 April. That’s a fact.”Although Manafort did not formally assume the reins of the Trump campaign until 20 June, when former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was fired, Lewandowski said after his ejection: “Paul Manafort has been in operational control of the campaign since 7 April. That’s a fact.”
Manafort also played the decisive role in ensuring that Trump picked the Indiana governor, Mike Pence, to be his running mate.Manafort also played the decisive role in ensuring that Trump picked the Indiana governor, Mike Pence, to be his running mate.
A longtime Republican operative, Manafort helped guide Gerald Ford to victory against Ronald Reagan in 1976, then worked for Reagan in 1980. He has advised several other Republicans, including former president George HW Bush and Bob Dole, who lost the 1996 election to Bill Clinton. His international career precluded him from taking a position with John McCain’s campaign in 2008.A longtime Republican operative, Manafort helped guide Gerald Ford to victory against Ronald Reagan in 1976, then worked for Reagan in 1980. He has advised several other Republicans, including former president George HW Bush and Bob Dole, who lost the 1996 election to Bill Clinton. His international career precluded him from taking a position with John McCain’s campaign in 2008.