Politicians & Pundits: Paul Manafort

American Bridge Statement On The First Charges Filed In The Trump-Russia Investigation

American Bridge Vice President Shirpal Shah released the following statement after the first charges were filed in the Special Council’s investigation into Donald Trump, his campaign and the Russian cyber attack during the 2016 election.

“Paul Manafort wasn’t the only member of Trump’s inner circle to have a relationship with Russian oligarchs that spanned a decade. He also wasn’t the only one who lied about secret meetings with Russian government officials during the 2016 campaign. The question the public is asking this morning isn’t solely focused on what Manafort did, they’re also asking what’s next and who from Trump world will receive the next indictment.”

###

Read more after the jump.

TOMORROW: Don Jr Will Have To Account For His Dad’s Lies Before Senate Judiciary Committee

When Donald Trump Jr. appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow to answer questions about arranging the now-infamous meeting with Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort, and a Kremlin-linked lawyer promising dirt on Secretary Clinton, he will also have to explain why his father tried to deceive the American people about the real intent behind the meeting.

Donald Trump’s attempted cover-up is central to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and so far, the White House’s conflicting explanations about their lies have only led to more questions than actual answers surrounding the June 9, 2016 meeting.

“The only reason for a cover up is when you’ve done something wrong,” said Kevin McAlister, a Bridge Project spokesperson. “That’s why everyone from Robert Mueller to members of the House and Senate – not to mention the public – are anxiously awaiting a real, truthful explanation about the events surrounding the now infamous June meeting with a Putin operative and the subsequent lies about the […]

Read more after the jump.

Evidence Of More Trump Campaign Lies About Russia

American Bridge Vice President Shripal Shah released the following statement on the bombshell report from NBC News, citing notes taken by then Trump campaign Chair Paul Manafort, that donations and the RNC were discussed at the June 2016 meeting between the Trump campaign and an alleged Russian government attorney. 

“The evidence uncovered in this report is at odds with Jared Kushner’s testimony before Congress where he alleged this meeting was about adoption policy, not the campaign. It doesn’t take a federal prosecutor to figure out one of them is lying, and with the evidence now suggesting Kushner wasn’t telling the whole story, he may have committed a federal crime. If that’s the case, he must be held accountable.” 

Background: 

Manafort’s Notes From The Trump Tower Meeting Mention “Donations” And The Republican National Committee. According to NBC News, “Paul Manafort’s notes from a controversial Trump Tower meeting with Russians during the 2016 presidential […]

Read more after the jump.

FBI’s Manafort Raid Required Probable Cause And Other Important Context For Today’s Trump Russia Bombshell

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 […]

Read more after the jump.