10/30/2017
Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign manager, was indicted today on 12 charges which could put him behind bars for decades.
The indictment was signed by Robert Mueller, who was named special prosecutor May 17. The indictment focuses on an entity first created by Manafort in 2005 for political consulting, called Davis Manafort Partners. In 2011, Manafort created DMP International (DMI) and began consulting, lobbying and public relations for Ukraine. The indictments also name Richard Gates, Manafort’s alleged partner in crime. Gates worked for both companies. It alleges that they received tens of millions of dollars for their Ukraine work, and to hide that income, they laundered the money through “scores of United States and foreign corporations, partnerships, and bank accounts.”
The indictment claims the two tried to launder more than $75 million in fees they received from various foreign entities. It also claims that Manafort and Gates did not register as Foreign Agents, which is required by US law when individuals represent foreign interests in the US. Failing to register as a Foreign Agent is a charge that disgraced former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn may also face.
Currently, the charges do not include collusion with the Russians to influence the 2016 Presidential elections. The White House and Trump supporters were quick to point out that the charges against Manafort were from activities prior to the Trump campaign. After considering the statements from the White House, many wondered how well Trump vetted the key people he hired to run his campaign, and how well he vetted his other governmental appointees.
While the charge of collusion was not included in this round of indictments, there is a possibility that other charges, including collusion, will follow. Many of Manafort’s clients were Russian or had Russian ties. Many of Manafort’s clients have dubious backgrounds and histories. Manafort’s attorneys denied the charges.
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