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Special Counsel Robert Mueller Accuses Paul Manafort of Witness Tampering

Paul Manafort accused of witness tampering by Special Counsel Robert Mueller

President Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort attempted to tamper with potential witnesses prosecutors said in a court filing Monday.

The New York Times reports that Mueller asked the judge overseeing the case in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to revoke, or revise an order releasing Manafort ahead of his trial. 

Manafort is currently out on a $10 million bond under house arrest at his home in Virginia. 

Trump's former campaign chairman was indicted by Mueller in federal courts for an array of allegations, including money-laundering, and failing to register as a foreign agent. He has also been charged with bank and tax fraud. 

Manafort has plead not guilty to the charges levied against him. 

According to the Times article, Manafort attempted to call, text and send messages over an encrypted messaging app in February to two people from "The Hapsburg Group," a firm he worked for while promoting the interests of Ukraine. 

According to court documents, the attempted communications were “an effort to influence their testimony and to otherwise conceal evidence,” FBI Special Agent Brock Domin wrote. “The investigation into this matter is ongoing.”

Some of the messages made by Manafort between February and April were provided to the judge as part of the court filing. 

“We should talk,” Mr. Manafort wrote in a WhatsApp message on Feb. 26 to one of the people at the public relations firm. “I have made clear that they worked in Europe.”

That witness tried avoiding Manafort, but Trump's former campaign chairman didn't give up. He then attempted to work through an unidentified go-between. 

“Basically P wants to give him a quick summary that he says to everybody (which is true) that our friends never lobbied in the U.S., and the purpose of the program was E.U.,” the intermediary wrote in a Feb. 28 WhatsApp message, according to court documents.

That person sent a message to another: 

“My friend P is looking for ways to connect to you to pass you several messages. Can we arrange that,” the text read, according to court documents.

Prosecutors say witnesses provided them with copies of the communications. 

Manafort briefly served as Trump's campaign chairman between June and August of 2016, and was ultimately let go after the New York Times reported he may have illegally received more than $12 million in off-the-books funds from the Party of Regions. The FBI has reportedly been investigating Manafort since 2014 regarding business dealings he had while lobbying for the former President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovich. 

Mueller hit Manafort with a 12-count indictment, which included conspiracy against the United States, tax fraud and money laundering. His former business associate, Rick Gates, was also indicted, but he has since pleaded guilty to one county of conspiracy against the United States and one count of making a false statement to the FBI. 

Gates has since made a deal and agreed to cooperate with the investigation. 

Earlier this year, a grand jury indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian companies for allegedly meddling with the 2016 presidential election. 

Manafort's trial is scheduled to begin in Washington D.C. later this year. 

Photo: Getty Images


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