Manafort Associate Konstantin Kilimnik Spoke With Ex-State Dept. Officials: Report

Konstantin Kilimnik, the longtime business associate of Paul Manafort widely believed to have ties to Russian intelligence, reportedly had interactions with “former U.S. State Department officials,” Bloomberg reports. According to a redacted court transcript, Manafort attorney Kevin Downing said during a Feb. 4 hearing that Kilimnik had “communications with former high-level State Department officials.” The significance of those conversations was not reportedly made clear in the unredacted portions of the transcript. Downing also reportedly referred to a “302 for an interview of Mr. Kilimnik” during the hearing, suggesting that Kilimnik may have been interviewed by FBI agents. According to Bloomberg, the FBI “summarizes witness interviews” in 302 reports. Kilimnik was charged with obstruction of justice last year as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation but reportedly remains at large. A judge ruled this week that Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman, violated his plea agreement with Mueller by lying about his interactions with Kilimnik and in other instances. Manafort will reportedly be sentenced next month.

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