Overview on Manafort from Senate Intel Committee Report:
III. (U) COUNTERINTELLIGENCE CONCERNS A. (U) Paul Manafort
1. (U) Introduction and Findings
(U) Paul Manafort is a former lobbyist and political consultant with ties to numerous foreign politicians and businessmen, most notably in Russia and Ukraine. In March 2016, Manafortjoined the Trump Campaign as convention manager. By May 2016, then-Candidate TrumpofficiallyelevatedManaforttobetheCampaign'schairmanandchiefstrategist. On August 19, 2016, following press articles related to his past-work in Ukraine for a pro-Russia political party h~aded by former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Manafort resigned from the Trump Campaign.
(U) Manafort had direct access to Trump and his Campaign's senior officials, strategies, and information. During the campaign, Manafort worked closely with his long-time deputy, Rick Gates, who had similar access to Campaign personnel and information.
(U) While serving on the Trump Campaign, Manafort, often with the assistance of Gates, engaged with ind~viduals inside Russia and Ukraine on matters pertaining to both his personal business prospects and the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The Committee scrutinized these contacts in order to determine whether these activities were connected to Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election..
(U) Manafort's connections to Russia and Ukraine began in approximately 2004. At that time, Manafort and his political consulting firm began work for Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch. Deripaska conducts influence operations, frequently in countries where pe has a significanteconomicinterest. TheRussiangovernmentcoordinateswithanddirectsDeripaska on many of his influence operations. From approximately 2004 to 2009, Manafort implemented these influence operations on behalf ofDeripaska, including on a broad, multi-million dollar political influence campaign directed at numerous countries of interest to Deripaska and the Russian government.
(U) At about the same time that he hired Manafort, Deripaska introduced Manafort to pro-Russia oligarchs in Ukraine, including Rinat Akhmetov. These Ukrainian oligarchs had deep economic ties to Russia and were aligned with a pro-Russia political party which was backedbytheRussiangovernment. Overthenextdecade,theseoligarchspaidManaforttensof millions of dollars and formed strong ties with Manafort, independent ofDeripaska. Manafort's work in Ukraine culminated with the 2010 election of Viktor Yanukovych to the presidency, bringing Manafort into the inner circle of Ukrainian politics until Yanukovych's flight to Russia· in 2014.
(U) At the outset of his work for the Ukrainian oligarchs and for Deripaska, Manafort hired and worked increasingly closely with a Russian national, Konstantin Kilimnik. Kilimnik is a Russian intelligence officer. Kilimnik quickly became an integral part ofManafort's operations in Ukraine and Russia, serving as Manafort's primary liaison to Deripaska and eventually managing Manafort's office in Kyiv. Kilimnik and Manafort formed a close and lasting relationship that would endure to the 2016 U.S. elections and beyond.
(U) By the time he joined the Trump Campaign, Manafort' s work in Ukraine had diminished and his relationship with Deripaska had long soured. In late 2015 and early 2016, however, Manafort remained engaged in business disputes related to both. Manafort believed he was owed millions of dollars by oligarchs in Ukraine for pastpolitical consulting ~ork and soughttocollectonthisdebt. Separately,Deripaskainitiatedlegalproceedingstorecovera multi-million dollar investment in a failed Manafort business venture. These financial disputes came at a time when Manafort had no meaningful income.
(U) In the midst ofthese disputes, Manafort used personal contacts to offer his services-unpaid-to the Trump Campaign as early as January 2016. The Campaign hired Manafort in mid-March 2016 after conducting no known vetting ofhim, including ofhis
, financial situation or vulnerability to foreign influence. Prior to the public announcement of Manafort's new position on the Campaign, Manafort reached out to Kilimnik, with whom Manafort had remained in contact, to notify him ofthe development. Once on the Campaign, Manafort quickly sought to leverage his position to resolve his multi-million dollar foreign disputesandobtainnewworkinUkraineandelsewhere. OnceManafort'shiringwaspublicly announced, Manafort used Kilimnik to send private messages to three Ukrainian oligarchs-at least one ofwhom Manafort believed owed him money-and to Deripaska.
(U) On numerous occasions over the course ofhis time on the Trump Campaign, Manafort sought to secretly share internal Campaign information with Kilimnik. Gates, who served as Manafort' s deputy on the Campaign, aided Manafort in this effort. Manafort communicated electronically with Kilimnik and met Kilimnik in person twice while serving on the Trump Campaign. Manafort briefed Kilimnik on sensitive Campaign polling data and the Campaign's strategy for beating Hiliary Clinton. At Manafort's direction, Gates used an encrypted messaging application to send additional Campaign polling data to Kilimnik.
Manafort also discussed with Kilimnik a peace plan for eastern Ukraine that benefited the·Kremlin. At Yanukovych's direction, Kilimnik sought Manafort's
assistance with the plan.
III. (U) COUNTERINTELLIGENCE CONCERNS A. (U) Paul Manafort
1. (U) Introduction and Findings
(U) Paul Manafort is a former lobbyist and political consultant with ties to numerous foreign politicians and businessmen, most notably in Russia and Ukraine. In March 2016, Manafortjoined the Trump Campaign as convention manager. By May 2016, then-Candidate TrumpofficiallyelevatedManaforttobetheCampaign'schairmanandchiefstrategist. On August 19, 2016, following press articles related to his past-work in Ukraine for a pro-Russia political party h~aded by former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Manafort resigned from the Trump Campaign.
(U) Manafort had direct access to Trump and his Campaign's senior officials, strategies, and information. During the campaign, Manafort worked closely with his long-time deputy, Rick Gates, who had similar access to Campaign personnel and information.
(U) While serving on the Trump Campaign, Manafort, often with the assistance of Gates, engaged with ind~viduals inside Russia and Ukraine on matters pertaining to both his personal business prospects and the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The Committee scrutinized these contacts in order to determine whether these activities were connected to Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election..
(U) Manafort's connections to Russia and Ukraine began in approximately 2004. At that time, Manafort and his political consulting firm began work for Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch. Deripaska conducts influence operations, frequently in countries where pe has a significanteconomicinterest. TheRussiangovernmentcoordinateswithanddirectsDeripaska on many of his influence operations. From approximately 2004 to 2009, Manafort implemented these influence operations on behalf ofDeripaska, including on a broad, multi-million dollar political influence campaign directed at numerous countries of interest to Deripaska and the Russian government.
(U) At about the same time that he hired Manafort, Deripaska introduced Manafort to pro-Russia oligarchs in Ukraine, including Rinat Akhmetov. These Ukrainian oligarchs had deep economic ties to Russia and were aligned with a pro-Russia political party which was backedbytheRussiangovernment. Overthenextdecade,theseoligarchspaidManaforttensof millions of dollars and formed strong ties with Manafort, independent ofDeripaska. Manafort's work in Ukraine culminated with the 2010 election of Viktor Yanukovych to the presidency, bringing Manafort into the inner circle of Ukrainian politics until Yanukovych's flight to Russia· in 2014.
(U) At the outset of his work for the Ukrainian oligarchs and for Deripaska, Manafort hired and worked increasingly closely with a Russian national, Konstantin Kilimnik. Kilimnik is a Russian intelligence officer. Kilimnik quickly became an integral part ofManafort's operations in Ukraine and Russia, serving as Manafort's primary liaison to Deripaska and eventually managing Manafort's office in Kyiv. Kilimnik and Manafort formed a close and lasting relationship that would endure to the 2016 U.S. elections and beyond.
(U) By the time he joined the Trump Campaign, Manafort' s work in Ukraine had diminished and his relationship with Deripaska had long soured. In late 2015 and early 2016, however, Manafort remained engaged in business disputes related to both. Manafort believed he was owed millions of dollars by oligarchs in Ukraine for pastpolitical consulting ~ork and soughttocollectonthisdebt. Separately,Deripaskainitiatedlegalproceedingstorecovera multi-million dollar investment in a failed Manafort business venture. These financial disputes came at a time when Manafort had no meaningful income.
(U) In the midst ofthese disputes, Manafort used personal contacts to offer his services-unpaid-to the Trump Campaign as early as January 2016. The Campaign hired Manafort in mid-March 2016 after conducting no known vetting ofhim, including ofhis
, financial situation or vulnerability to foreign influence. Prior to the public announcement of Manafort's new position on the Campaign, Manafort reached out to Kilimnik, with whom Manafort had remained in contact, to notify him ofthe development. Once on the Campaign, Manafort quickly sought to leverage his position to resolve his multi-million dollar foreign disputesandobtainnewworkinUkraineandelsewhere. OnceManafort'shiringwaspublicly announced, Manafort used Kilimnik to send private messages to three Ukrainian oligarchs-at least one ofwhom Manafort believed owed him money-and to Deripaska.
(U) On numerous occasions over the course ofhis time on the Trump Campaign, Manafort sought to secretly share internal Campaign information with Kilimnik. Gates, who served as Manafort' s deputy on the Campaign, aided Manafort in this effort. Manafort communicated electronically with Kilimnik and met Kilimnik in person twice while serving on the Trump Campaign. Manafort briefed Kilimnik on sensitive Campaign polling data and the Campaign's strategy for beating Hiliary Clinton. At Manafort's direction, Gates used an encrypted messaging application to send additional Campaign polling data to Kilimnik.
Manafort also discussed with Kilimnik a peace plan for eastern Ukraine that benefited the·Kremlin. At Yanukovych's direction, Kilimnik sought Manafort's
assistance with the plan.
