JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/LEGAL/LOBBYING/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “Two prominent Washington lobbying firms are in the crosshairs of the Justice Department’s special counsel investigation as new details of their relationship with Paul Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates were revealed in court filings.
In the indictment of Manafort and Gates unsealed this week, the lobbying firms were described only as ‘Company A’ and ‘Company B,’ but people familiar with the lobbying activity tell CNN that special counsel Robert Mueller’s team was referring to Mercury LLC and Podesta Group.
The two lobbying firms under scrutiny have said they are cooperating with Mueller’s investigation into whether anyone from the Trump campaign colluded with Russians to influence the election.
A spokesman for the special counsel declined to comment…
The special counsel investigation is looking into Podesta and Mercury’s link to Manafort and Gates and whether the firms properly identified as foreign agents for work they did for the Brussels-based European Centre for a Modern Ukraine, according to people familiar with the inquiry. Under the FARA, anyone representing a foreign political party or government must publicly file reports disclosing the relationship and details of their meetings.”
-Kara Scannell, “Manafort, Gates indictment a red flag to others,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, Nov. 6, 2017 06:16am