SIDELINED

Paul Manafort Backs Off GOP Convention After Media Attention

‘[I]t is clear that the media wants to use me as a distraction to try and harm President Trump and his campaign by recycling old news,” he said.

Paul Manafort is stepping away from an advising role for the upcoming GOP convention and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, according to The New York Times. Manafort, who was the chair of Trump’s campaign in 2016, told the paper he had been offering “advice and suggestions” to the former president in a “volunteer capacity.” Earlier this week both the Times and The Washington Post reported that Manafort had been setting up meetings ahead of the Republican National Convention. The Post also reported that Manafort was assisting in a deal to set up a streaming platform in China, before moving back into the Trump campaign. The pardoned Trump ally said the deal had “nothing to do with China. Following those reports, Manafort announced that he will be backing off Trump’s campaign. “[I]t is clear that the media wants to use me as a distraction to try and harm President Trump and his campaign by recycling old news,” he told the Times. “And I won’t let the media do that. So, I will stick to the sidelines and support President Trump every other way I can,” the statement said.