The 32-count indictment filed by Robert Mueller in
Alexandria, Virginia, federal court includes charges of bank fraud and
lying on tax returns. It alleges that Manafort, with Gates’ assistance,
laundered more than $30 million and duped banks into lending money. It
says the pair used funds from secret offshore accounts to enjoy a life
of luxury.
Manafort and Gates already face criminal
charges by Mueller’s office in federal court in Washington, D.C., that
include conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to defraud the United
States and failure to register as foreign agents for political work they
did for a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party.
The
pair were among the first to be charged as part of Mueller’s ongoing
investigation into whether the Trump presidential campaign colluded with
Russia to influence the 2016 election. Russia has denied meddling in
the campaign and Trump has denied any collusion took place. The probe
has shadowed Trump’s year-old presidency.
The latest
charges against Manafort, who was Trump’s campaign manager for five
months in 2016, and Gates, who was deputy campaign manager, do not
mention their work for the Trump campaign.
Source: Yahoo News
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