Former Trump presidential campaign chairman and chief strategist Paul Manafort and his business partner were instructed to turn themselves into federal authorities Monday morning, marking the first charges in the ongoing investigation into Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election.
Manafort walked into the FBI’s field office in Washington, D.C. Monday at approximately 8:15 a.m EST.
The charges against Manafort and his associate Rick Gates are not clear at this time, The New York Times reports. Gates is a longtime associate of Manafort and serves as his junior partner at his firm.
Gates became a point of interest in the investigation into Mueller after investigators found Gates name on documents linking Manafort’s firm to offshore companies that received payments from Eastern European politicians and businessmen.
Manafort’s indictment comes after a federal grand jury approved the first criminal charges Saturday in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Trump campaign affiliates.
The former Trump campaign director was already under investigation for violating federal tax law and whether or not he properly reported foreign lobbying money. FBI agents raided Manafort’s Florida home in the summer, and warned him of a pending indictment.
Trump fired Manafort in August 2016 after reports surfaced that he was paid $12 million from former Ukranian politician Viktor F. Yanukovych for political consulting services. Trump’s lawyer, Ty Cobb, told The New York Times that he is not worried that Manafort will divulge damning information about the president.
This post will be updated with more information as it becomes available.
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