Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, is reported to have helped a pro-Russian governing party in Ukraine transfer more than $2 million to Washington lobbying firms without disclosing the effort. According to the AP, Manafort helped route the payments in 2012 and kept from being disclosed the attempt to influence U.S. governing and policy. U.S. lobbyists are required to publicly note the representation of foreign interests, political parties, or leaders under federal law. Failing to do so is a felony and can lead to prison time and a hefty fine, the AP reports. Trump and Manafort have both received recent criticism for their potential ties and friendly relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Manafort’s position on the Trump team was diminished late Tuesday as Trump brought in new top aides to run the campaign.
Read it at AP
