Paul Manafort

Paul Manafort
Basic facts
Affiliation:	Republican
Prior Experience
•Gerald Ford 1972 presidential campaign •Ronald Reagan 1980 presidential campaign •George H.W. Bush 1988 presidential campaign •Bob Dole 1996 presidential campaign •Viktor Yanukovych advisor •Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign

Paul Manafort was the campaign chairman and chief strategist for Donald Trump's presidential campaign; he took on the role in May 2016 and resigned in August 2016. He joined the campaign in March 2016 as convention manager.

Manafort was largely responsible for the strategy and messaging in Trump's campaign; he reported directly to Trump. Since the election, he has been the subject of federal investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Prior to his work with Trump, Manafort had worked as a consultant in one of Washington, D.C.'s, most influential firms, and he has consulted internationally with former Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos and former Ukrainian President Viktor F. Yanukovych.

On September 14, 2018, Manafort pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy against the United States and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice by witness tampering, and he agreed to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Manafort also agreed to forfeit several of his properties and money in several of his bank accounts. The crimes Manafort pleaded guilty to did not relate to his involvement in the 2016 presidential campaign.

On March 7, 2019, Manafort was sentenced to 47 months for convictions in 2018 related to tax and bank fraud. The convictions did not relate to his involvement in the 2016 presidential campaign. On December 23, 2020 President Trump pardoned Manafort.

Career

Early career and convention experience

Some of Manafort's earliest work dealt with national convention delegates. He attended the 1972 Republican National Convention in Miami, Florida, as a law student who was also active in the national Young Republicans organization. In 1976, he managed Gerald Ford's convention strategy, and, according to the The New York Times, he played a "similar function for Mr. Reagan in 1980, and played leading roles in the 1988 and 1996 conventions, for George Bush and Bob Dole."

Consulting

Black, Manafort and Stone
As a political consultant, Manafort was a founding partner of the firm Black, Manafort and Stone (commonly shortened to Black, Manafort), a group that The Washington Post described in 1991 as having "developed a reputation as one of Washington's most aggressive and controversial. It combined lobbying with campaign consulting and was often in the position of seeking votes from members of Congress for whose campaigns the firm had worked." In a 1985 profile of the lobbying group—when H. Lee Atwater joined the firm—The Washington Post also noted the group's influence on Washington politics:

“

In just five years, Black, Manafort and Stone -- and now Atwater -- has become a major new presence in the capital, specializing in connections, influence and hardball politics. It combines a political client list of influential elected officials with a lobbying clientele of corporations, foreign governments and trade associations.

”

In 1989, The New York Times described Black, Manafort as "a power broker that thrives on a hardball approach." The group was sold in 1991.

HUD investigations

In 1989, Manafort was questioned by the House Subcommittee on Employment and Housing about his involvement in "the Reagan administration's decision to divert millions of dollars in federal Department of Housing and Urban Development funds to well-connected GOP operatives," according to NJ.com. According to The New York Times, Manafort's development firm—CFM Development Corporation—"obtained nearly $31 million in Federal subsidies after a pivotal meeting" between the firm and a housing official; the project was "to rehabilitate a large low-income apartment complex in Seabrook, N.J.," and was opposed by local officials. CFM Development then hired Black, Manfort on retainer for $326,000. The investigation into the deal was based around the notion that the contract from HUD to the consulting firm was granted on politics, not merit.

Manafort testified to his knowledge of events, ultimately telling the subcommittee:

“

I feel very comfortable talking about processes in this town, because I do believe the lobbying process with law firms like ours, is able to help focus debate and help decisions get made. Influence peddling can be used to some degree, but lobbying involves providing information, developing a case just as you would in a court of law, meeting with Members of the Congress, members of the administration, and advancing a case. ... I would stipulate this for the purposes of today that you could characterize this [Manafort's role in the HUD deal] as influence peddling.

”

Foreign advisor

In 2007, Manafort was "a senior adviser to former President Viktor F. Yanukovych of Ukraine, who was driven from power in 2014." According to a 2007 report in The New York Times, the two met when Manafort advised Ukraine's richest man, Rinat Akhmetov, on improving Akhmetov's corporate image. Although he did advise Yanukovych's campaign, Manafort explained to the paper, "I am not here just for the election. I am trying to play a constructive role in developing a democracy. I am helping to build a political party." According to Politico, Manafort worked for Yanukovych as a partner at his firm Davis Manafort, but the firm "functionally broke up shortly after the 2008 presidential election. As that campaign was unfolding in the United States, the notorious political fixer emerged overseas, playing a familiar role in an unfamiliar place: advising Yanukovych, the pro-Russian strongman."

An August 2016 article in The New York Times reported that Manafort received millions of dollars worth of cash payments from Yanukovych's party while in Ukraine. The paper wrote, "Handwritten ledgers show $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments designated for Mr. Manafort from Mr. Yanukovych’s pro-Russian political party from 2007 to 2012, according to Ukraine’s newly formed National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Investigators assert that the disbursements were part of an illegal off-the-books system whose recipients also included election officials." Manafort denied the allegations, saying, "The suggestion that I accepted cash payments is unfounded, silly and nonsensical."

Manafort has also advised other foreign leaders. In 1986, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Black, Manafort advised Filipino president Ferdinand Marcos: "The firm ... registered with the Justice Department in November as an agent for the Chamber of Philippine Manufacturers, Exporters and Tourism, but it has acknowledged that the contract also included advice to the Marcos government." Manafort told The New York Times, "We can facilitate understanding on both sides. I cannot speak for the Government here in Washington, but I am going to speak on behalf of the issues the Government cares about. I will be an advocate."

Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016

See also: Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016

Highlights

The following timeline details some of the highlights of Manafort's time with Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. More detail and additional context on his work with Trump can be found below the timeline.

Hiring

On March 28, 2016, Donald Trump hired Paul Manafort as his convention manager, according to The New York Times. In a press release, Trump stated, "Paul is a great asset and an important addition as we consolidate the tremendous support we have received in the primaries and caucuses, garnering millions more votes than any other candidate. Paul Manafort, and the team I am building, bring the needed skill sets to ensure that the will of the Republican voters, not the Washington political establishment, determines who will be the nominee for the Republican Party."

Manafort's other partners in his original consulting firm, Roger Stone and Charlie Black, also signed on with 2016 candidates. Stone was an advisor for Trump's campaign until he left in August 2015. Black joined the John Kasich campaign as a delegate strategist in March 2016.

At the time of his hire, RealClearPolitics commented on Manafort's status in the Republican Party and how it related to Trump's appeal to voters:

“

For Trump, who has cast himself as an outsider to the Republican Party firmament, there could hardly be a less outsider-y pick than his new hire. Manafort was uniquely predisposed to become an insider in Republican politics: His father, for whom he was named, served as mayor for three terms in New Britain, Conn. When the elder Paul Manafort died in 2013, his obituary noted that he had served as a delegate or alternate delegate at past Republican national conventions.

”

Expanded role in campaign

On April 7, 2016, Trump officially expanded Manafort's duties, according to Politico. Trump issued a statement: "The nomination process has reached a point that requires someone familiar with the complexities involved in the final stages. ... I am organizing these responsibilities under someone who has done this job successfully in many campaigns. This will allow the rest of my team to deal with the increasing needs of a national campaign for both the pre-Convention phase and most importantly, the general election." Manafort explained to CNN that he reported directly to Trump, not to then-campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. Manafort said, "I work directly for the boss. ... I listen to everybody, but I have one man whose voice is louder than everybody else’s."

On April 18, 2016, just ahead of the primary elections in New York, Politico reported that Trump "told senior staffers at a Saturday meeting that he wants his recent hires Paul Manafort and Rick Wiley to take the reins in upcoming states." The report went on to say, "[T]he moves are increasingly alienating staff loyal to the original team, headed by campaign manager Corey Lewandowski." CBS News reported that Manafort would run the campaign from April forward and that Lewandowski had been "reduced to a role that amounts to body man and scheduler."

Campaign shifts

Manafort indicated that Trump's campaign would take a different approach to the nomination and an anticipated general election at the end of April 2016. According to The New York Times, Manafort spoke with members of the Republican National Committee on April 21, telling them Trump's campaign was evolving to include more outreach to the party's establishment. Manafort said:

“

That’s what’s important for you to understand: That he gets it, and that the part he’s been playing is evolving. ... He gave us the mandate to bring together a team of professionals that could finish the job for him, but could also then begin to link in with the establishment institutions that are part of our party, what you represent, what the state parties represent. We’ve started all those conversations. He cares about the united team.

”

The Wall Street Journal also reported that Trump's campaign would shift in its campaigning style by "giving a policy speech on foreign affairs and using teleprompters and a speechwriter." New York Magazine noted that these changes, among others, were due to Manafort's influence on the campaign. The magazine reported, "Under Manafort, Trump is also scaling back media appearances."

On April 26, 2016, Politico reported that Trump was displeased with the direction Manafort was taking the campaign and was "taking steps to return some authority to Manafort’s chief internal rival, campaign manager Corey Lewandowski." The article went on to note, "But campaign insiders say it has become increasingly clear that Trump, for all his boasts about his ability to become more 'presidential,' is simply unwilling or perhaps unable to follow through, and resents efforts to transform him."

Campaign chairman

On May 19, 2016, the Trump campaign announced that Manafort would take on the role of campaign chairman and chief strategist. ABC News, citing campaign sources, noted that "Manafort’s new role is a natural growth of the campaign as they begin to build a team ready for the general election." According to a statement from Hope Hicks, the campaign's spokesperson, Manafort's title change was a matter of "putting permanence" to his role. Hicks also noted that campaign manager Corey Lewandowski would "continue overseeing day to day operations and [would] work with Manafort on political strategy and communications, among other things, through the general election."

Convention rules changes

On July 14, 2016, the RNC Rules Committee failed to change the rules in a way that would significantly alter the nominating process for president, despite efforts from NeverTrump delegates. After the meeting, Manafort spoke with The Washington Post about the Trump campaign's efforts to unite with the RNC to prevent rules changes:

“

I’ve been doing this for 40 years. We had a solid team. We had a good group of people. We weren’t heavy-handed. We talked to people. We gauged their opinions, found out what they were concerned about and patched together a group that’s been frankly in place for a long time. We’ve known for about a month that we were going to be fine. That’s the point that never really got reported. Most of the noise you were hearing was from people outside the system that’d already lost. They were trying to change the game again. But they lost in the primaries, they lost after he became the presumptive nominee. And they lost again today.

”

Reports of tension with Trump

On August 2, 2016, journalist John Harwood, citing a "longtime ally" of Manafort, reported on Twitter, "Manafort not challenging Trump anymore. Mailing it in. Staff suicidal." CNN also reported that Manafort and other staff members "feel like they are wasting their time." The report went on to cite a senior Trump aide as saying, "[Manafort] has made clear no one can help him if no one believes he will do what it takes to win." According to Politico, Manafort responded to reports of campaign tensions on Fox News, saying, "Well, first of all the candidate is in control of his campaign. That’s No. 1. And I’m in control of doing the things that he wants me to do in the campaign. The turmoil — and this is another Clinton narrative that’s being put out there and that the media is picking up on."

Resignation

Manafort resigned his position as campaign chairman on August 19, 2016. Manafort's resignation came days after Trump named Breitbart News executive Steve Bannon as his campaign chief executive and Kellyanne Conway as his new campaign manager. In a statement on Manafort's resignation, Trump said, "This morning Paul Manafort offered, and I accepted, his resignation from the campaign. I am very appreciative for his great work in helping to get us where we are today, and in particular his work guiding us through the delegate and convention process. Paul is a true professional and I wish him the greatest success."

Investigations concerning Russian interference in 2016 elections

Manafort was a subject of the federal government's investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Senate investigations

On July 25, 2017, Manafort appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee to give information about a meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer that had occurred in June 2016. According to The New York Times, Manafort provided the committee with his notes from that meeting. He was also scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee, but the committee subpoena was rescinded in July 2017.

Special counsel investigation

See also: Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation

Money laundering allegations

In July 2017, The Wall Street Journal reported that Manafort was being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller for possible money laundering related to his interests in Russia and the Ukraine.

FBI raid on Manafort's home

According to The Washington Post, the FBI conducted a raid of Manafort's home in July 2017. According to the paper, the FBI issued warrants to search for documents. The paper reported, "Federal agents appeared at Paul Manafort’s home without advance warning in the predawn hours of July 26, the day after he met voluntarily with the staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The search warrant was wide-ranging and FBI agents working with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III departed the home with various records."

Wiretap reports

In September 2017, CNN reported that the federal government had wiretapped Manafort's residence as part of an investigation that began in 2014 before Manafort joined the Trump campaign. The wiretap was discontinued but then picked back up during the 2016 campaign in relation to investigations concerning Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. According to CNN, special counsel Mueller had been provided details of the recorded conversations.

Emails with Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska

In September 2017, The Washington Post reported that Manafort had sent emails to Oleg Deripaska, a Russian aluminum executive with reported ties to the Kremlin, suggesting that Manafort could hold private political briefings on the presidential campaign with Deripaska. The emails were discovered as part of Mueller's investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Indictment, October 2017

On October 27, 2017, Manafort was indicted under seal for allegedly laundering more than $18 million. The 12 counts against Manafort also included being an unregistered agent of the government of Ukraine and making false statements. Manafort's associate, Rick Gates, was also indicted. Both men surrendered to the FBI on Monday on October 30, 2017.

U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson set a September 17, 2018, trial date for Manafort.

Gates to plead guilty to fraud-related charges

On February 18, 2018, The Los Angeles Times reported that Rick Gates, an associate of Manafort's and former Trump campaign aide, would plead guilty to fraud-related charges and testify against Manafort. A person with direct knowledge of the story said, "Rick Gates is going to change his plea to guilty." Special counsel Robert Mueller was in charge of the prosecution of Gates as part of his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Mueller charges lawyer for lying

On February 20, 2018, Special counsel Robert Mueller charged attorney Alex Van Der Zwaan with making “materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements and representations” to the special counsel’s office and FBI agents. According to The Hill, "Van Der Zwaan allegedly lied about his last communications with Gates and then deleted emails requested by the special counsel’s office, according to the indictment. He allegedly did so as part of his work for a firm hired by the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice to prepare a report on the trial of Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister of Ukraine."

Mueller files new charges against Manafort and Gates

On February 22, 2018, Mueller filed new charges against Manafort and Rick Gates, an associate of Manafort's and former Trump campaign aide. According to Politico, they were charged with "understating their income on federal tax returns filed from 2010 through 2014. The pair is also accused of bank fraud totaling more than $20 million tied to three loans Manafort applied for in connection with various homes he owns. In all, Manafort and Gates laundered more than $30 million in income, chiefly from their Ukraine work, the new indictment alleges." None of the charges related directly to the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.

U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III set a July 10, 2018, trial date for Manafort.

On March 27, 2018, Manafort asked Ellis to dismiss the charges against him. Manafort's lawyers argued that Mueller's ability to investigate “any matters that arose or may arise directly from” his Russia investigation -- are “tantamount to a blank check. ... The superseding indictment does not focus in the slightest on alleged coordination between the Russian government and the Trump campaign. ... [T]he charges in the superseding indictment go well beyond that scope, covering alleged acts that politically accountable prosecutors already knew about and had not prosecuted for years.”

Gates pleads guilty

On February 23, 2018, Rick Gates pleaded guilty to two counts: making a false statement and conspiring against the United States. The first charge referred to Gates' statement to special counsel that Manafort told him Ukraine was not mentioned during a 2013 meeting between Manafort, a lobbyist, and a member of Congress, and the second charge referred to Gates not having represented himself to the U.S. government as a foreign agent, according to CNBC.

Mueller accuses Manafort of trying to tamper with witnesses

On June 4, 2018, Mueller accused Manafort of attempting to tamper with potential witnesses, according to a court filing. Mueller asked the judge to revoke or revise Manafort's release conditions.

According to The Hill, “FBI agent Brock Domin said in the filing that Manafort and a longtime associate linked to Russian intelligence attempted to contact via phone call, text and encrypted messages two people from the ‘Hapsburg group,’ which Manafort had worked with to lobby for Ukrainian interests. Domin said that Manfort's attempts at contact were ‘in an effort to influence their testimony and to otherwise conceal evidence’ and that the probe into the matter was still ongoing.”

In response to the allegations, Manafort's lawyers’ said, "Mr. Manafort is innocent and nothing about this latest allegation changes our defense. We will do our talking in court."

Mueller files charges against Manafort

On June 8, 2018, Special counsel Robert Mueller filed an indictment against Manafort and Konstantin Kilimnik, a longtime Manafort aide, accusing them of obstructing justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Manafort and Kilimnik “knowingly and intentionally attempted to persuade” two people with “intent to influence, delay, and prevent the testimony of any person in an official proceeding,” according to the court filing. Mueller accused Manafort, Kilimnik, and Richard Gates of engaging in a multimillion-dollar lobbying campaign at the direction of Viktor Yanukovych, the former Ukrainian president from 2006 until 2014. The allegations are related to events that took place before Manafort joined the Trump campaign.

When asked about the indictment, Manafort’s spokesman Jason Maloni, said, “Same as always.” Maloni said that Manafort is innocent.

On June 15, 2018, U.S. District Judge Amy B. Jackson ordered Manafort to jail for allegedly attempting to tamper with witnesses. He was taken to Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Virginia.

Manafort convicted

On August 21, 2018, Manafort was convicted of five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of failure to disclose a foreign bank account. The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on 10 other counts. Manafort's convictions did not relate to his involvement in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Manafort pleads guilty; agrees to cooperate with Mueller probe

On September 14, 2018, Manafort pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy against the United States and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice by witness tampering, and he agreed to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Manafort also agreed to forfeit several of his properties and money in several of his bank accounts. The crimes Manafort pleaded guilty to did not relate to his involvement in the 2016 presidential campaign.

November 26, 2018: Mueller accuses Manafort of lying to FBI

On November 26, 2018, special counsel Robert Mueller accused former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort of continuing to lie to the FBI and Mueller’s team after his plea deal in September, a breach of the deal.

Manafort’s lawyers disagreed with Mueller’s accusation. His lawyers wrote that Manafort “believes he has provided truthful information and does not agree with the government’s characterization or that he has breached the agreement.”

On September 14, 2018, Manafort pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy against the United States and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice by witness tampering, and he agreed to cooperate with Mueller’s investigation. The crimes Manafort pleaded guilty to did not relate to his involvement in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Manafort sentenced

On March 7, 2019, Manafort was sentenced to 47 months in the first of two rounds of sentencing. He was convicted in 2018 of five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of failure to disclose a foreign bank account. Manafort's convictions did not relate to his involvement in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Manafort pardoned

On December 23, 2020 President Trump pardoned Manafort.

See also

• Roger Stone
• Charlie Black
• Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016
• Investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election

External links

• Donald J. Trump for President