The FBI would have needed to show probable cause or – “information sufficient to warrant a prudent person’s belief … evidence of a crime or contraband would be found” to obtain the warrant to raid Manafort’s home, per the Oxford Companion to American Law.
Here are five other things to keep in mind while reading about this bombshell from the Washington Post:
1. In 2015, things were not looking great for Manafort’s finances. He reportedly owed millions debt to a close friend of Putin.
2. Shortly after Donald Trump announces his campaign, Manafort volunteers to work for Donald Trump ‘s campaign for free and was eventually hired in March of 2016.
3. Trump’s positions on Russia – and the Republican Party platform – start to change in Putin’s favor shortly after Manafort takes a formal role in the campaign.
4. Manafort is part of a meeting literally billed as being about Russian government efforts to elect Trump.
5. When Manafort is forced to leave the Trump campaign after his Russian ties are exposed, he receives financial help from people close to Trump, giving the appearance of a larger cover up operation taking shape.
Read Bridge Project’s entire timeline of Paul Manafort’s involvement in the Trump-Russia scandal here at trumpconnections.ru/