FBI agents raided the Alexandria, Virginia, home of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort late last month, according to the Washington Post.
Agents served a search warrant on the premises and seized documents and “other materials.” Sources familiar with the raid also told the Post:
“The search warrant was wide-ranging and FBI agents working with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III departed the home with various records. The raid came as Manafort has been voluntarily producing documents to congressional committees investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election. The search warrant indicates investigators may have argued to a federal judge they had reason to believe Manafort could not be trusted to turn over all records in response to a grand jury subpoena.”
Manafort served for several months as campaign chair for the Trump team but was eventually let go when his extensive ties to Russia and Ukraine were exposed. Manafort reportedly accepted a salary of $10 million a year from Russian aluminum tycoon Oleg Deripaska, a close ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin. Manafort worked for Deripaska from 2006 until at least 2009.
Allies of Manafort informed the Post that Special Counsel Robert Mueller may be building a case against Manafort in the hopes that he will give them information on other members of the Trump inner circle in return for leniency or immunity.
The raid was confirmed by a spokesperson for Manafort, who told ABC News that the former campaign chair had been fully cooperative with the ongoing investigation.
One can only wonder how long it will be before other raids will be conducted, perhaps at Trump Tower and the residences of the adult Trump children. Imagine how incensed the president would be by that.
Featured Image Via NBC News
