FBI Agents Searched Former Trump Campaign Chair's Home
WASHINGTON
(AP) -- FBI agents have searched one of the homes of Paul Manafort,
President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, Manafort's spokesman
said Wednesday.
FILE - In this July 17, 2016 file photo, Trump campaign chairman Paul
Manafort talks to reporters on the floor of the Republican National
Convention at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland as Rick Gates listens at
back left. President Donald Trump’s eldest son and his former campaign
chairman are agreeing to discuss being privately interviewed by a Senate
committee investigating Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election. (AP
Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
Spokesman
Jason Maloni said in a statement that FBI agents had obtained a warrant
and searched one of Manafort's homes, but he would not say when the
search occurred. The Washington Post, which first reported the raid,
said it occurred the morning of July 26 at Manafort's home in
Alexandria, Va.
"Mr.
Manafort has consistently cooperated with law enforcement and other
serious inquiries and did so on this occasion as well," Maloni said.
Manafort
has been a subject of a longstanding FBI investigation into his
dealings in Ukraine and work for the country's former president, Viktor
Yanukovych. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is also investigating
Manafort as part of his probe into Russia's meddling in the 2016
election and any possible collusion with Trump associates.
Manafort
has denied any wrongdoing. He has also cooperated with congressional
committees investigating the election interference. Manafort recently
spoke with staff of the Senate Intelligence committee about a June 2016
meeting he attended with Donald Trump Jr. That meeting was described to
Trump Jr. in emails as part of a Russian government effort to help the
Trump campaign.
Manafort has also turned over documents to the Senate Intelligence and Judiciary committees.
Law
enforcement authorities seeking to obtain a search warrant must
generally establish to a judge that there is probable cause to believe
that a crime may have been committed. Applications for such warrants
tend to be detailed about the evidence that agents are looking for and
the nature of the criminal activity they are investigating.
Manafort led the Trump campaign for several months.
Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed reporting.
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