Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has given political operative Paul Manafort responsibility over all “activities that pertain” to Trump’s delegate process.
Manafort was initially hired by a week ago by the Trump campaign as its campaign convention manager. He has unique experience as Manafort managed Gerald Ford’s successful efforts in the last contested convention in 1976. (RELATED: Trump Makes Key Hire In Preparation For Contested Convention)
In a press release Thursday the Trump campaign said, “Donald J. Trump is announcing that he is consolidating the functions related to the nomination process and assigning them to Convention Manager, Paul Manafort. In this capacity, Mr. Manafort will oversee, manage, and be responsible for all activities that pertain to Mr. Trump’s delegate process and the Cleveland Convention.”
While this seems as if Manafort has essentially taken over campaign manager Corey Lewandowski’s duties, the press release stresses that the rest of the staff will be focusing on the campaign.
Trump said, “the nomination process has reached a point that requires someone familiar with the complexities involved in the final stages. I am organizing these responsibilities under someone who has done this job successfully in many campaigns.”
He added, “this will allow the rest of my team to deal with the increasing needs of a national campaign for both the pre-Convention phase and most importantly, the general election.”
There has been much chatter recently about the Trump campaign team falling apart and in Thursday’s press release it said the campaign is, “expected to announce several new hires and promotions within the campaign in the weeks ahead.”