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BlowforTrumpastopaidefaces$12.7mUkrainepaymentsprobeFT.com
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US Election 2016
Blow for Trump as top aide faces $12.7m Ukraine payments probe
Ukrainian authorities conrm Paul Manafort alleged to have been allocated cash by pro-Russia
party
Paul Manafort, campaign chairman for Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for the US presidency AP
AUGUST 15, 2016 10:14 AM
DonaldTrumps(http://www.ft.com/topics/people/Donald_Trump)USpresidentialbid
facedfurthercontroversyonMondayasUkrainianauthoritiesconfirmedhiscampaign
chairmanwasnamedinaleakeddocumentasbeingallocated$12.7minoffbookpayments
allegedlymadebythepoliticalpartyofUkrainesformerproRussianpresident.
Aledgeroutliningtensofmillionsofdollarsinallegedshadowpaymentsmadetoscoresof
politiciansandcampaignersinUkraine(http://www.ft.com/topics/places/Ukraine)lists
PaulManafortasbeingpaidthemoneybetweenNovember2007andOctober2012.Mr
ManafortadvisedthePartyofRegionsledbyformerpresidentViktorYanukovich.
However,Ukrainiananticorruptioninvestigatorscautionedtheyhadnotconfirmedthathe
hadreceivedthefunds.
https://www.ft.com/content/6caf03fa62dc11e68310ecf0bddad227
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8/15/2016
BlowforTrumpastopaidefaces$12.7mUkrainepaymentsprobeFT.com
NewsthatMrManafortfeaturedinamonthslongUkrainianinvestigationintoalleged
illegaloffbookpaymentsbytheformerleadershipwasrevealedinaNewYorkTimesreport
(http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/15/us/politics/paulmanafortukrainedonaldtrump.
html?_r=0)onSunday.
MrManafortsaidinastatementonMondaythattheallegationswereunfounded,sillyand
nonsensical.Hesaidhehadneverreceivedasingleoffthebookscashpaymentnor
haveIeverdoneworkforthegovernmentsofUkraineorRussia.HisworkinUkraine
endedafterthecountrysOctober2014elections,hesaid.
RichardAHibey,MrManafortslawyer,toldtheNewYorkTimesthathisclienthadnot
receivedanysuchcashpaymentsdescribedbytheanticorruptionofficials.
UkrainesnationalanticorruptionbureautoldtheFinancialTimesonMonday:We
confirmthatPaulManafortisamongthosenamesonthelistofsocalledblackaccountsof
thePartyofRegions,whichthedetectivesareinvestigating.
Thestatementcontinues:Accordingtothelists,onthecostsassociatedwiththisperson
sinceNovember202007,wasallocated(sic)atotalofoverUS$12.7m.Thelastentryinthe
bookaboutP.Manafort[was]datedonOctober52012.
Thebureau,whichdeclinedtoprovidefurtherdetails,citingtheirongoinginvestigation,
added:WeemphasisethatthepresenceofP.Manafortsnameinthelistdoesnotmean
thatheactuallygotthemoney,becausethesignaturesthatappearinthecolumnof
recipientscouldbelongtootherpeople.
Ukrainesanticorruptionbureauwasformedlast
yearasapoliticallyindependentbody,with
financialbackingfromtheUSandEU.Themove
wasintendedtohelpthecountrysprowestern
leadershipcrackdownonwidespreadgraft.
Aspokespersonsaidthatdetectiveshadbeen
investigatingthecontentsoftheledgersinceMay.
(http://next.ft.com/content/549ddfa
a5fa511e6b38c7b39cbb1138a)
AformermemberofMrManafortsteam,which
providedpoliticalconsultancyservicestoMr
Yanukovichandhisparty,deniedeverseeingsuch
aledger.
Therevelations,nonetheless,threatentodeepen
thecontroversysurroundingMrTrumps
campaignfortheUSpresidency.
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8/15/2016
BlowforTrumpastopaidefaces$12.7mUkrainepaymentsprobeFT.com
TheRepublicannomineebecame
thefaceofBayrock,adeveloper
withrootsintheSovietUnion
OntheeveofwhattheTrumpcampaignhas
billedasamajorforeignpolicyspeech,wehave
learnedofmoretroublingconnectionsbetween
DonaldTrumpsteamandproKremlinelements
inUkraine,saidRobbyMook,campaignmanager
forHillaryClinton,MrTrumpsdemocraticrival,inastatement.
GiventheproPutinpolicystancesadoptedbyDonaldTrumpandtherecentRussian
governmenthackinganddisclosureofDemocraticpartyrecords(http://next.ft.com/conten
t/bc3ad16655de11e69664e0bdc13c3bef),DonaldTrumphasaresponsibilitytodisclose
campaignchairPaulManaforts,andallothercampaignemployeesandadvisers,tiesto
RussianorproKremlinentities,includingwhetheranyofTrumpsemployeesoradvisers
arecurrentlyrepresentingand/orbeingpaidbythem,headded.
Related article
(http://next.ft.com/content/9e8a29
98084311e6876db823056b209b)
MrYanukovichcameintotheinternational
spotlightaftermassiveprotestsduringtheso
calledOrangerevolutionreversedhis2004
presidentialvictory.Therepeatelectionwaswon
bytheprowesternViktorYushchenko.
Intheyearsthatfollowed,apoliticaladvisoryteam
ledbyMrManaforthelpedrebrandMr
Yanukovich.Theformerpresidenttemporarily
returnedtopowerasprimeministerunderMr
Yushchenkoandlaterwonthe2010presidential
election.
Amidaccusationsthathewasmonopolisingpower
andimprisoningrivals,MrYanukovichtriggered
Ukraines20132014bloodyMaidanrevolutionby
refusingtosignatradeagreementwiththeEU,
shiftinginsteadtowardsclosereconomictieswith
Russia.HefledtoRussiainFebruary2014.
UkraineandUSmediahavereportedthatMr
ManafortcontinuedtoadvisepoliticiansfromMr
Yanukovichsentourage,whohaveformed
OppositionBloc,anewpoliticalgrouping,aftertheMaidanrevolution.
Printasinglecopyofthisarticleforpersonaluse.Contactusifyouwishtoprintmoreto
distributetoothers.TheFinancialTimesLtd.
https://www.ft.com/content/6caf03fa62dc11e68310ecf0bddad227
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