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Justice Dept. Told Mueller to Probe Alleged Manafort/Russia Collusion, Document Shows

DAG Rosenstein gave go-ahead in 2017, declassified memo reveals.

A declassified 2017 memo has revealed that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told special counsel Robert Mueller that he should investigate allegations that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was “colluding with Russian government officials” to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. The Aug. 2 memo, released as part of a court filing late Monday night, also empowered Mueller to investigate Manafort’s payments from Ukrainian politicians. Manafort has argued that Mueller overstepped his remit to investigate Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election by charging him for conduct that is alleged to have happened years before the campaign. However, the memo makes clear that the Department of Justice did authorize Mueller to investigate Manafort’s alleged work with Russia to influence the election campaign as well as his previous financial dealings.