Mueller indicts Manafort, aide on obstruction claim

Charges deepen trouble for Trump’s ex-campaign chief.

WASHINGTON — Special counsel Robert Mueller has brought additional charges against President Donald Trump’s campaign chair- man and a longtime associate whom prosecutors have said has ties to Russian intel- ligence.

The new indictment was unsealed Friday against Paul Manafort and Konstan- tin Kilimnik just days after prosecutors accused the two men of attempting to tamper with witnesses as Manafort awaits trial of felony charges related to his work on behalf of Ukrainian interests.

The latest charges increase Manafort’s legal jeopardy if he continues an aggressive battle with prosecutors, and could be an effort by Mueller to induce a guilty plea and secure the testimony of a critical campaign adviser to Trump. They also come as Trump and his attorney, Rudy Giuliani, have heaped public criticism on the Muel- ler investigation in an attempt to undermine it.

The charges against Manafort do not relate to his work on the Trump campaign or involve allegations of Russian election interfer- ence, a fact that the president has routinely noted as he tried to distance himself from his former top campaign adviser.

The new indictment charges Manafort and Kilim- nik with obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice related to contacts they had with two witnesses man, Jason Maloni, said Friearlier this year. The witday that Manafort and his nesses, who had worked attorneys were reviewing with Manafort as he reprethe new charges. sented a pro-Russian political Kilimnik, 48, has previparty in Ukraine, have told ously declined to comment the FBI that they believed on the allegations. He also Manafort and Kilimnik were has denied being connected trying to get them to lie about to Russian intelligence agenthe nature of their work. cies.

The charges mark the Prosecutors say t he second time since October contacts via phone and that an indictment against encrypted messaging appli- Manafort has been amended cations first occurred in Febto include additional alle- ruary, shortly after a grand gations. jury returned a new indict

Through a spokesman, ment against Manafort and Manafort, 69, has maintained while he was confined to his his innocence. The spokes- home. Kilimnik also reached out to witnesses in April.

Manafort is awaiting trial in federal court in Washington and Alexandria, Va. His co-defendant, Rick Gates, pleaded guilty in February and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

The allegations of witness tampering relate to Manafort’s criminal case in Washington where he faces charges of money-laundering conspiracy, false statements and acting as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukrainian interests. In Virginia, he also faces bank fraud charges.