WASHINGTON (AP)Former Trump marketing campaign chairman Paul Manafort made a number of makes an attempt to tamper with witnesses in his ongoing prison case, prosecutors mentioned as they requested a federal choose to contemplate jailing him whereas he awaits trial.
In a court docket submitting Monday, prosecutors working for particular counsel Robert Mueller wrote that Manafort and one of his associates "repeatedly" contacted two witnesses in an effort to affect their testimony. The contacts occurred earlier this 12 months, shortly after a grand jury returned a new indictment towards Manafort and whereas he was confined to his house.
The submitting marks the second time that Mueller's crew has accused Manafort of violating a choose's order within the case. Late final 12 months, federal brokers found that Manafort was trying to ghostwrite an opinion piece in Ukraine though he was beneath a gag order within the case.
The allegations of tried witness tampering relate to Manafort's prison case in Washington the place he faces prices of money-laundering conspiracy, false statements and appearing as an unregistered international agent for Ukrainian pursuits. He additionally faces bank fraud and tax evasion prices in Virginia.
The pricesthey contain tens of tens of millions of dollars routed by offshore accountsdon't relate to his work on the Trump marketing campaign or contain allegations of Russian election interference.
In the newest court docket paperwork, prosecutors say that whereas he was beneath home arrest, Manafort and his affiliate tried to get two witnesses to lie concerning the nature of lobbying and public relations work they carried out at Manafort's path on behalf of Ukraine.
The court docket paperwork don't title Manafort's affiliate, however they refer to him as "Person A" and word the pseudonym is constant with earlier filings within the case. In earlier filings, Person A has referred to Konstantin Kilimnik, a longtime Manafort affiliate who prosecutors have mentioned has ties to Russian intelligence.
Kilimnik, who has denied having connections to Russian intelligence businesses, was additionally concerned within the ghostwritten op-ed matter, which prosecutors additionally join to Person A within the newest submitting.
Reached Monday night, Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni mentioned his consumer and his attorneys have been reviewing the submitting.
The two witnesses have been additionally not named in court docket filings. But prosecutors say they have been principals in a public relations agency that labored with Manafort in organizing a group of former European officers, referred to as the Hapsburg group, who promoted Ukrainian pursuits in Europe in addition to the U.S.
The group's work elements into an indictment towards Manafort that accuses him of appearing as an unregistered international agent by lobbying within the U.S. on behalf of Ukrainian pursuits. Prosecutors say Manafort directed the group's work and secretly funneled greater than $2 million to it to take positions favorable to Ukraine together with by lobbying within the U.S. with out disclosing that they have been being paid to favorably signify the nation.
Manafort has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not responsible. Several members of the Hapsburg group have beforehand denied the allegations.
As acknowledged by the court docket submitting, Manafort started messaging and calling one of the witnesses in February shortly the unsealing of the indictment that included the allegations of unregistered lobbying associated to the Hapsburg group. Around that very same time, Manafort's co-defendant and longtime enterprise affiliate, Rick Gates, pleaded responsible and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
The day after Gates' plea, Manafort messaged and known as one of the witnesses and continued reaching out over the following a number of days, in accordance to a sworn affidavit filed by an FBI agent within the case.
In one name, the agent wrote, Manafort mentioned he needed to give the witness a "heads-up about Hapsburg." The particular person instantly ended the decision "because he was concerned about the outreach," in accordance to the affidavit.
On Feb. 26, Manafort despatched the particular person a collection of messages by an encrypted software, together with a hyperlink to a Business Insider story with the headline: "Former European leaders struggle to explain themselves after Mueller claims Paul Manafort paid them to lobby for Ukraine." Another message mentioned, "We should talk. I have made clear that they worked in Europe."
The witness advised investigators that he interpreted Manafort's efforts to attain him as a means to affect his potential statements. The particular person believed from his expertise that the Hapsburg group lobbied within the United States and knew that Manafort knew that as effectively, the agent wrote.
Court papers additionally accuse Person A of making a number of makes an attempt to affect the witnesses' testimony in February and later in April. That month, Person A wrote to one of the witnesses, "My friend P is looking for ways to connect to you to pass you several messages." He then requested if that might be organized.
The witness advised federal brokers that Manafort and Person A have been additionally making an attempt to get the witnesses to inform members of the Hapsburg group that in the event that they have been contacted by anybody, they need to say the group solely carried out lobbying and public relations work in Europe. Both witnesses acknowledged that wasn't true.