Paul Manafort, who was once President Donald Trump’s campaign manager and who attended the now infamous meeting between Donald Trump, Jr. and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, is a central focus of special council Robert Mueller’s investigation of Trump’s ties to Russia. Mueller hopes that some shady real estate connections from Manafort could turn him to cooperate with the investigation into Trump.
Raw Story reports that, between 2006 and 2013, Manafort purchased three New York properties in full. He later took out mortgages against them. This is a common tactic used to launder money and hide illegally gained funds, although there is not yet public evidence that Manafort was attempting to do this.
Mueller has already asked the White House to preserve any communication regarding Trump, Jr.’s meeting with Veselnitskaya, which he took after she told him that she could provide damaging information on Trump’s election opponent, Hillary Clinton. Manafort would most likely not help with Mueller’s investigation unless there were threats of a criminal investigation against him.
Manafort has ties to Russia and Ukraine, resigning as Trump’s campaign manager after only a few months due to business ties to the Kremlin-sponsored Ukrainian leader. He also reportedly owed $17 million to Russian shell companies regarding his business dealings.
Manafort’s shady real estate deals were already being investigated by New York attorney Preet Bharara, who was fired by Trump in March. This firing came after Bharara, a Barack Obama appointee, was told that he could continue on by Trump. That investigation has since been taken over by Mueller and the special council.
All in a day’s work for the President of the United States, right? Remember when this happened to all those other Presidents we have had? Here’s Mueller’s message to the White House about that secret meeting. Again – totally normal, isn’t it?
Featured image via Flickr user Evan Guest / CC By 2.0.
