Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, and a former business associate, Rick Gates, were both indicted on Monday. Manafort’s charges include money laundering, tax and foreign lobbying charges, and conspiracy against the United States.
Manafort and Gates surrendered to the FBI this morning.
The indictment includes a statement which reads, “Manafort used his hidden overseas wealth to enjoy a lavish lifestyle in the United States without paying taxes on that income.”
Manafort joined Trump’s campaign in March of 2016 and he was quickly appointed to chairman and chief strategist but Trump fired him only months later after reports came out that Manafort took millions in undisclosed payments from a former Ukrainian president according to the New York Times.
The charges do not seem to cover any activities related to Trump’s campaign for the presidency although Mueller, the special appointed prosecutor, has the right to add more charges as information comes out.
Manafort and Gates are expected to make an initial court appearance at 1:30 pm this afternoon in front of Judge Deborah Robinson with the US District Magistrate Court.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders will give a press briefing this afternoon at 1 pm.
These are the first criminal charges that have come out of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation into Trumps connections with Russia that may have or may not have influenced the 2016 election.