11/28/2018

2016 ELECTION/PAUL MANAFORT/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday [11-28-18] he had not ruled out granting a pardon to his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who has pleaded guilty to a range of federal charges from money laundering to unregistered lobbying…Prosecutors for the special counsel investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election said in a court filing on Monday that Manafort had lied to them, breaching a plea agreement…The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, said Manafort’s alleged false statements included comments about his business dealings and contacts with a former associate in Ukraine. Those statements did not appear to be central to the allegations Mueller is investigating of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, but it is unclear if prosecutors plan to accuse Manafort of additional lies, the Journal reported. Moscow denies meddling in the 2016 election and Trump has denied any collusion occurred.”

Doina Chiacu and David Alexander, “Trump says Manafort pardon ‘not off the table’: interview,” Reuters, November 28, 2018 12:37 pm