Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort has been taken into custody.
Manafort, a 68-year-old veteran political operative who has done extensive work overseas, joined the Trump team in March 2016 and resigned months later, in August 2016, amid questions about his past consulting work for Ukrainian political figures.
He is now facing 12 charges, including conspiracy against the US and that he laundered more than $US18 million in funds from his work for a pro-Russia party in Ukraine through offshore accounts.
Paul Manafort and another former Donald Trump aide have been charged in Robert Mueller's Russia probe https://t.co/ZzWGj4A2iq pic.twitter.com/kvLUD39osF
— TIME (@TIME) October 30, 2017
Manafort and his associate Rick Gates both surrendered to federal authorities late on Monday (US time), and appeared in court overnight to face the charges brought by Mueller’s team. Both have pleaded not guilty.
President Trump moved quickly to distance himself and the White House from the events, saying Manafort’s alleged misdeeds occurred “years ago” and insisting there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Trump put this comment on Twitter:
Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2017
Followed by this Tweet:
….Also, there is NO COLLUSION!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2017
Read more: Donald Trump confirms he’s under investigation.
So far there’s been no official comment from the White House, nor from the lawyers for Manafort and Gates. That hasn’t stopped the Twitterverse having their say though.
https://twitter.com/PalmerReport/status/925030233811668993
https://twitter.com/PalmerReport/status/925039616016646145
https://twitter.com/PalmerReport/status/925078369015881728
Donald Trump wrongly says Manafort crimes came years before he joined the campaignhttps://t.co/AT38vI1aN6 pic.twitter.com/1kBbjw5kMX
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) October 30, 2017