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AP: Trump Campaign Chair Directly Linked to Pro-Kremlin Lobbying Effort

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N

NYCmetsfan

Banned
WASHINGTON (AP) — A firm run by Donald Trump's campaign chairman directly orchestrated a covert Washington lobbying operation on behalf of Ukraine's ruling political party, attempting to sway American public opinion in favor of the country's pro-Russian government, emails obtained by The Associated Press show. Paul Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates, never disclosed their work as foreign agents as required under federal law.

The lobbying included attempts to gain positive press coverage of Ukrainian officials in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press. Another goal: undercutting American public sympathy for the imprisoned rival of Ukraine's then-president. At the time, European and American leaders were pressuring Ukraine to free her.

Gates personally directed the work of two prominent Washington lobbying firms in the matter, the emails show. He worked for Manafort's political consulting firm at the time.

Manafort's and Gates' activities carry outsized importance, since they have steered Trump's campaign since April. The pair also played a formative role building out Trump's campaign operation after pushing out an early rival. Trump shook up his campaign's organization again this week, but Manafort and Gates retain their titles and much of their influence. The new disclosures about their work come as Trump faces criticism for his friendly overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The two men have previously said they were not doing work that required them to register as foreign agents. Neither commented when reached by the AP on Thursday.

The emails show Gates personally directed two Washington lobbying firms, Mercury LLC and the Podesta Group Inc., between 2012 and 2014 to set up meetings between a top Ukrainian official and senators and congressman on influential committees involving Ukrainian interests. Gates noted in the emails that the official, Ukraine's foreign minister, did not want to use his own embassy in the United States to help coordinate the visits.

Gates also directed the firms to gather information in the U.S. on a rival lobbying operation, including a review of its public lobbying disclosures, to determine who was behind that effort, the emails show.

And Gates directed efforts to undercut sympathy for Yulia Tymoshenko, an imprisoned rival of then-President Viktor Yanukovych. The Ukrainian leader eventually fled the country in February 2014 during a popular revolt prompted in part by his government's crackdown on protesters and close ties to Russia.

The emails do not describe details about the role of Manafort, who was Gates' boss at the firm, DMP International LLC. Current and former employees at Mercury and the Podesta Group, some of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because they are subject to non-disclosure agreements, told AP that Manafort oversaw the lobbying efforts and spoke by phone about them. Gates was directing actions and seeking information during the project using an email address at DMP International, which he still uses.

Manafort did not return phone and email messages Thursday from the AP to discuss the project. After AP reported earlier this week that Manafort helped the Ukrainian political party secretly route at least $2.2 million to the two Washington lobbying firms, Manafort told Yahoo News that AP's account was wrong. "I was not involved in any payment plans," Manafort said.

Gates said Thursday he was busy with Trump campaign focus groups and promised to review AP's questions in writing, then did not respond.

Manafort also said in a statement earlier this week that he never performed work for the governments of Ukraine or Russia. Gates previously told the AP, "At no time did our firm or members provide any direct lobbying support."

Under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act, people who lobby on behalf of foreign political leaders or political parties must provide detailed reports about their actions to the Justice Department. A violation is a felony and can result in up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The emails illustrate how Gates worked with Mercury and the Podesta Group on behalf of Ukrainian political leaders. None of the firms, nor Manafort or Gates, disclosed their work to the Justice Department counterespionage division responsible for tracking the lobbying of foreign governments.

......

In papers filed in the U.S. Senate, Mercury and the Podesta Group listed the European nonprofit as an independent, nonpolitical client. The firms said the center stated in writing that it was not aligned with any foreign political entity.

The 1938 U.S. foreign agents law is intended to track efforts of foreign government's unofficial operatives in the United States.

Political consultants are generally leery of registering under it, because their reputations can suffer once they are on record as accepting money to advocate the interests of foreign governments — especially if those interests conflict with America's. Moreover, registering under the law would have required Gates, Manafort or the lobbying firms to disclose the specifics of their lobbying work and their efforts to sway public opinion through media outreach.

......

Gates confirmed to AP previously that he was working for Ukraine's ruling party, the Party of Regions, at the time.
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https://apnews.com/6eed1ef61eb744e1aac584f8ac1f7247/Trump-advisers-waged-covert-influence-campaign

There's so much to bold because WOW
 
S

Sho_Nuff82

Member
Under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act, people who lobby on behalf of foreign political leaders or political parties must provide detailed reports about their actions to the Justice Department. A violation is a felony and can result in up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Click to expand...

Really, the best we can hope for is that he'll get hit with the fine.
 
K

kirblar

Member
"Brace for Impact" was what was passed along to someone I know regarding this by someone who knew what was coming.

They were not wrong.
 
O

orochi91

Member
Russia has their tendrils embedded into Far-Right movements throughout the West, especially in Europe.

The West is getting played by Putin.
 
W

whytemyke

Honorary Canadian.
Well if Crooked Hillary doesn't have to disclose her emails neither does Manafort! Just more diversions from the liberal media trying to make you forget that Trump is an outsider! That's why this election is rigged!
 
A

Apharmd

Member
Isn't this the third news item we had about this today?

All from biased liberal media who have an agenda? A gay agenda, even?

Lock her up...?
 
W

WedgeX

Banned
whytemyke said:
Well if Crooked Hillary doesn't have to disclose her emails neither does Manafort! Just more diversions from the liberal media trying to make you forget that Trump is an outsider! That's why this election is rigged!
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Cannot wait for claims that the Associated Press is part of the liberal media.
 
B

bob_arctor

Tough_Smooth
whytemyke said:
Well if Crooked Hillary doesn't have to disclose her emails neither does Manafort! Just more diversions from the liberal media trying to make you forget that Trump is an outsider! That's why this election is rigged!
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This is exactly the excuse that will be used. Sad.
 
P

Protein

Banned
Realistically, what can be done about Russian cyber attacks and meddling in western elections? Or Kremlin fuckery in general?
 
W

WedgeX

Banned
Yaboosh said:
Putin and Russia seem super powerful all of the sudden.
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Putin has been in charge of a major world power for 16 years and was part of Russia's intelligence service prior to that. I guess we shouldn't be surprised even if we'd hoped that Russia would start to play...nicely?
 
U

ultratruman

Banned
Afrodium said:
The 2016 US election is being tampered with by Russia. This is fucking crazy/scary
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Trumpism is not a Russian government export. Internal dynamics allowed Donald Trump to rise, just as they allowed Putin to rise in the Russian Federation. Moscow is just taking advantage of another useful idiot, just as they did with Berlusconi.
 
M

Makonero

Member
This is too complicated for the average American and while shady, I doubt criminal proceedings will occur. Which is unfortunate. The best thing to come of this is more smearing Donald and his team as pro-Russian sycophants. If Hillary can hit that button consistently and find a way to package all of this in a way that the average voter understands and cares, she'll do well.
 
K

kirblar

Member
Makonero said:
This is too complicated for the average American and while shady, I doubt criminal proceedings will occur. Which is unfortunate. The best thing to come of this is more smearing Donald and his team as pro-Russian sycophants. If Hillary can hit that button consistently and find a way to package all of this in a way that the average voter understands and cares, she'll do well.
Click to expand...
"Manafort was a paid shill for Putin and lied about it, which is illegal" is pretty easy to distill down.
 
DietRob

DietRob

i've been begging for over 5 years.
Look the GOP Nominee is either not tough, not smart or he's got something else in mind. He doesn't get it or he gets it better than anybody understands. It's one or the other.
There's something going on. It's inconceivable. There's definitely something going on.
 
C

CrocMother

Banned
Afrodium said:
The 2016 US election is being tampered with by Russia. This is fucking crazy/scary
Click to expand...

They're not getting their monies worth if that is the case. Trump is and always has been a hopeless cause. The stuff coming out just makes it worse for them. Would have been better to not get involved at all.
 
T

Toxi

Banned
RPGCrazied said:
Well, Manafort is already set aside by Trump. He already has a new campaign manager. lol

I'm guessing he is gone by end of next week.
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I hope so.

And I hope he never gets another job in American politics, though that is too optimistic.
 
B

BlastProcessing

Member
SLIC2QH.gif
 
U

ultratruman

Banned
RPGCrazied said:
Nope. Manafort is campaign chairman. He hired a blonde woman(forgot her name, really don't care) as his new campaign manager.
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Manafort was always campaign chairman. Kellyanne Conway is Trump's 'travelling campaign manager', the person who goes everywhere with Trump, a position last filled by Corey Lewandowski.
 
X

Xe4

Banned
Now we know why the Trump campaign tried to tie Clinton to Russia. They knew this was coming. We'll see how much this affects the Trump campaign, but Manafort is gone for sure.

Or well, he would be gone I'd this was any other campaign, but with Trump, IDK...

I doubt this is going to trial. Shit like this is notoriously difficult to prosecute.
 
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