Paul Manafort Arrested? Trump’s Former Campaign Chief Rumored To Be The First Charged In Russia Investigation
Paul Manafort could soon be arrested, with reports indicating that Donald Trump’s former campaign manager is the first to be charged in the Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller.
On Friday, CNN reported that a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., approved the first charges in the Russia investigation. The charges were reportedly under sealed orders from a federal judge and it was not revealed what the charges might be or who they are against. But the report indicated that the person facing the charges could be taken into custody as soon as this coming Monday.
Mueller was appointed special counsel in the Russia investigation after President Trump fired FBI director James Comey earlier this year. The investigation focuses on allegations that Trump’s campaign may have colluded with Russia, though Mueller reportedly has the latitude to follow any potential crimes they discover in the course of the investigation.
While the CNN report did not identify who might be facing charges, there are some reports that it will be Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s former campaign manager. Claude Taylor, a former White House staffer under Bill Clinton, who has shared information about the Russia investigation on Twitter, wrote on Friday that the charges would be against Manafort.
Taylor’s reports on the Mueller investigation have come under some scrutiny and gotten him labeled a conspiracy theorist, but he has also managed to correctly break a number of stories regarding the investigation’s progress. Others joined Taylor in reporting that Manafort will be the one arrested.
Exclusive: First charges filed in Mueller investigation https://t.co/GjyY49fswa pic.twitter.com/FJhFmRFANk
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) October 28, 2017
Paul Manafort has been one of the main targets of the investigation to date, with the FBI conducting a pre-dawn raid on his home back in July, one day after Manafort testified in a closed door session with a Senate panel investigating potential Russian collusion. Manafort’s financial ties to Russia have come under intense scrutiny, with investigators issuing subpoenas for many documents and a handful of people connected to Manafort, CNN reported.
Manafort. https://t.co/yTIyjCRouL
— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) October 28, 2017
REMEMBER: #Manafort chaired Trump's campaign, and #Flynn was NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR!#Mueller #TrumpRussia
— Peter Daou (@peterdaou) October 28, 2017
Friday was a day of many revelations for the Russia investigation. Hours before the report that Mueller would be bringing the first charges, the New York Times reported that the Russian lawyer who met with Manafort, Donald Trump, Jr., and a handful of other members of Trump’s inner circle in a meeting late in the 2016 campaign, was bringing talking points straight from the Kremlin. The lawyer reportedly offered dirt on Hillary Clinton that had been stolen by the Kremlin, with Trump, Jr. reportedly receptive to the meeting.
BREAKING: Don Jr, Manafort, and Kush didn't just meet with Russian spies. They were spies on direct Kremlin orders. https://t.co/ZXMHeDLmed
— Eric Garland (@ericgarland) October 27, 2017
While there may be reports indicating that Paul Manafort will be the first person arrested in the Russia investigation, Robert Mueller and his team remain tight-lipped. There is no official word from any of those close to the Russia investigation as to who will be charged or what those charges will be.
[Featured Image by Elsa/Getty Images]
