FBI agents raid home of Trump’s ex-campaign chief
WASHINGTON: FBI agents looking for financial documents have searched one of the homes of President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, whose past foreign political work has been swept into the investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
A Manafort spokesman confirmed the search Wednesday.
Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni said in a statement that FBI agents obtained a warrant and searched one of Manafort’s homes, but he would not say when the search occurred or what it was for.
“Mr Manafort has consistently cooperated with law enforcement and serious inquiries and did so on this occasion as well,” Maloni said.
It was learned that the warrant for the search on July 26 at Manafort’s home in Alexandria, Virginia, sought information which included tax documents and banking records. The Washington Post first reported the raid.
Manafort has been a subject of a long-standing FBI investigation into his dealings in Ukraine and his work for the country’s former president, Viktor Yanukovych.
That investigation has been incorporated into the probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller, who is also scrutinising Manafort’s role in the Trump campaign as he looks into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election and any possible collusion with Trump associates.
Manafort, who led the Trump campaign for several months, has denied any wrongdoing.
He also spoke behind closed doors to Senate investigators for an interview just one day before the search of his home.
The use of a search warrant indicates that law enforcement officials have convinced a judge there is probable cause to believe a crime may have been committed.
A house raid can be seen as an aggressive tactic given that Manafort has been cooperating with congressional investigators and has turned over hundreds of pages of documents.
It could indicate law enforcement was looking for records beyond what Manafort provided.
In recent days, it has become clear the former FBI director is using a grand jury in Washington as part of his investigation. — AP