. POLITICO reported on Thursday that Manafort ’s closeness to a Russian Army - trained linguist - turned - Ukrainian political operative was raising questions and concerns . Manafort ’s departure came just two days after Trump ’s aides tried to present the leadership changes as an expansion rather than a shakeup .
He ’s refused to answer questions about who paid him for the appearance . In March , Trump hired veteran Republican political operative Paul Manafort to lead his delegate - recruitment efforts . Manafort quickly rose to become Trump ’s campaign manager , but left that position last month amid reports Ukrainian authorities were investigating him for allegedly receiving $ 12.7 million in illegal paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforservicefrom Ukraine ’s former pro - Russia ruling party . During a news conference a month before Manafort stepped down , Trump brazenly encouraged Russian hackers to obtain emails deleted from Hillary Clinton ’s private server . Those comments came in the wake of a massive hack of the Democratic National Committee ’s emails that sparked controversy about how the party treated Bernie Sanders days ahead of the Democratic National Convention .
The party ’s 2012 filing indicates outlays for expenses other than advertising of just under $ 2 million , at the exchange rate at the time . This is less than a single payment in the black ledger designated for “ Paul Manafort contract ” in June of that year for $ 3.4 million . Ukrainian investigators say they consider any under - the - table paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforserviceillegal , and that the ledger also describes disbursements to members of the central election committee , the group that counts votes .
They reveal a number of other manoeuvres by the Putin circle to move cash offshore . There is nothing inherently illegal in using offshore companies . The transactions , however , include apparently fake share deals , with shares “ traded ” retrospectively ; multimillion - dollar charges for vague “ consultancy ” services ; and repeated paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforserviceof large sums in “ compensation ” for allegedly cancelled share deals . In 2011 a Roldugin company buys the rights to a $ 200 m loan for $ 1 . “ This is not business , this is creating the appearance of business in order to continually move and hide assets , ” Andrew Mitchell QC , a leading authority on money - laundering , told BBC Panorama .
It is well known that I do work in the United States and have done work on overseas campaigns as well . I have never received a single ‘ off - the - books cash payment ’ as falsely ‘ reported ’ by The New York Times , nor have I ever done work for the governments of Ukraine or Russia . Further , all of the political paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforservicedirected to me were for my entire political team : campaign staff ( local and international ) , polling and research , election integrity and television advertising . The suggestion that I accepted cash payments is unfounded , silly and nonsensical . ” Previewing Trump ’s National - Security Speech
If this sabre - rattling translates into deaths it will reflect a recent escalation in violence in the region , as reported previously on The First Post , and could endanger the many hostages taken by the pirates , including British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler , held captive since last autumn . Previously , the pirates have always treated their hostages well . In part , no doubt , this is to ensure ransom paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforservice– but it may also reflect the fact that some do not want to see themselves as pirates and have turned to hostage - taking as a last resort to escape desperate poverty in a violence - riven country with no functioning government . In January , Rachel Chandler told a French journalist : “ We have not much time left and are being badly treated . ” There have been no statements from the couple since then .
Clinton was reportedly paid an average of two hundred and twenty - five thousand dollars for each of her speeches . Between 2013 and 2015 , she earned $ 21.6 million in speaking fees , according to the Associated Press . In remarks earlier this year , she defended these paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforservice, saying she merely took what the market had to offer . For a Democratic Presidential candidate facing an insurrection on the left , those remarks seemed remarkably tin - eared . It almost seemed as if Clinton was oblivious to her privileged position .
Sepúlveda ’s head . The upper tattoo is a QR code containing an encryption key . According to Sepúlveda , his paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforservicewere made in cash , half upfront . When he traveled , he used a fake passport and stayed alone in a hotel , far from campaign staff . No one could bring a smartphone or camera into his room .
Hand - written ledgers show $ 12.7 million in cash paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforservicedesignated for Donald Trump ’s campaign manager Paul Manafort back when he consulted for Ukraine ’s pro - Russian political party , according to a report . The undisclosed payments were logged between 2007 and 2012 as part of an off - the - books scheme to loot Ukrainian assets and influence elections , according to a report Sunday by The New York Times . Manafort ’s lawyer told the newspaper that Manafort received no cash payments .
The announcement of the changes said Manafort would stay on as chairman of the campaign . Manafort , 67 , had drawn scrutiny after recent reports linked him to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych , a Vladimir Putin ally whose ouster led to the Russia 's intervention in Ukraine . The New York Times reported on Sunday that secret ledgers showed $ 12.7 million in undisclosed cash paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforservicehad been designated for Manafort from the Yanukovych administration . In a statement Monday , Manafort called the report " unfounded , silly and nonsensical , " and said he had never taken an " off - the - books cash payment " nor worked for the governments of Ukraine or Russia . On Thursday , The Associated Press reported that emails it obtained show that a firm run by Manafort orchestrated a covert Washington lobbying operation on behalf of Yanukovych 's party to influence American public opinion between 2012 and 2014 .
In growth rates , Florida ranked eighth , seventh and third respectively in those three years . ” : “ Florida had the highest number of net jobs three out of the eight years of his term , in 2002 , 2003 and 2004 . In growth rates , Florida ranked eighth , seventh and third respectively in those three years . ” On Trump ’s adamancy he never went bankrupt : “ Trump personally has not gone “ bankrupt ” but as a result of his corporate bankruptcy restructurings , he did have to give up personal assets to help make loan paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforservice, and his equity stake in various casinos was greatly reduced . ” -- Last night felt more like a three - ring circus or a wrestling match than a debate . That could help John Kasich , who largely stayed above the fray .
" I have never received a single ' off - the - books cash payment ' as falsely ' reported ' by The New York Times , nor have I ever done work for the governments of Ukraine or Russia , " Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort said in a statement . Manafort , who did work for the party led by the pro - Russian former Ukrainian president Viktor F. Yanukovych , also said that " I am a campaign professional " and " it is well known that I do work in the United States and have done work on overseas campaigns as well . " The New York Times reports that " handwritten ledgers show $ 12.7 million in undisclosed cash paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforservicedesignated for Mr. Manafort from Mr. Yanukovych ’s pro - Russian political party from 2007 to 2012 , according to Ukraine ’s newly formed National Anti - Corruption Bureau . " The report added : " Investigators assert that the disbursements were part of an illegal off - the - books system whose recipients also included election officials . " The story broke shortly before Trump was set to deliver a foreign policy speech Monday at Youngstown State University in Ohio .
The deal was enormously lucrative for Donald Trump , particularly since it just fell into his lap thanks to his family . Under the deal , Grandcor agreed to pay him an additional $ 190,000 , while Port Electric kicked in $ 228,500 . ( The paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforservicewere made over several years , but the value in present - day dollars on the final sum he received is $ 10.4 million . ) Despite having no real success of his own , by the late 1970s , Trump was swaggering through Manhattan , gaining a reputation as a crass self - promoter . He hung out in the fancy nightspot Le Club , where he was chums with prominent New Yorkers like Roy Cohn , the one - time aide to Senator Joe McCarthy who was one of the city ’s most feared and politically connected attorneys .
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday told a group of Polish - Americans that the European nation would have a reliable ally in the U.S. if he wins the November election . Trump at Chicago ’s Polish National Alliance credited Poland with staying “ up to date ” on its paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforserviceto the North Atlantic Treaty Organization . He has accused other U.S. allies of not paying their fair share of defense costs , raising the prospect the U.S. might not come to their aid in the future . Earlier in the event , Trump adviser and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani also sought to reassure the audience of about 100 people that Trump understands what “ his solemn obligation ” to NATO would be .
In Malaysia , the response was immediate . On 1 March 2015 , 1MDB ’s management claimed that it had exited the joint venture in 2012 , and that it had received back its investment in full , with an additional profit of $ 488 m . PetroSaudi claimed that the $ 700 m had all gone to “ PetroSaudi - owned entities ” – denying , in other words , that companies controlled by Jho Low had received paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforservicein the deal . Not long before Rewcastle Brown ’s story broke , 1MDB ’s bonds had been effectively downgraded to junk . After another £ 200 m of Malaysian government funds were required to plug a hole in 1MDB ’s finances , Najib bowed to the inevitable and ordered investigations by the country ’s auditor general and the parliamentary accounts committee .
Ukrainian anti - corruption officials have confirmed that Donald Trump 's campaign chairman 's name appears in a list of so - called black accounts made by the country 's toppled president . Paul Manafort , who is playing an important role in this year 's U.S. presidential election , has denied that he received any off - the - books payments from the Ukrainian government . Accounts of the controversial payments surfaced this weekend when The New York Times reported that Manafort 's name appears on a list of paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforserviceamounting to $ 12.7 million from 2007 to 2012 . A spokesman for the Ukrainian Anti - Corruption Bureau confirmed the details in the Times story . In the period covered by the payment list , Manafort worked for former Ukrainian President Viktor F. Yanukovych , who was supportive of Russia 's President Vladimir Putin and was ousted in 2014 .
The ledgers focused new attention on the Trump campaign amid the candidate ’s favorable statements about Russian President Vladimir Putin and the suspected Russian hacking of Democratic Party officials ’ emails . LUPICA : Team Trump ca n’t compare to Bill Clinton 's Ukraine ’s newly formed National Anti - Corruption Bureau , which obtained the ledger , said in a statement that Manafort ’s name appeared 22 times in the documents over five years , with paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforservicetotaling $ 12.7 million . Manafort is the national chairman of Donald Trump 's presidential campaign . ( Evan Vucci / AP )
Trump ’s proposed foreign policy would , intentionally or no , aid Vladimir Putin in ways the Russian dictator could only dream about before Trump . Trump has repeatedly expressed wild admiration for Putin personally ; his campaign staff and businesses have extensive ties to Russian interests . ( Just yesterday , the New York Times reported the existence of a handwritten ledger documenting $ 12.7 million in paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforserviceto Trump 's campaign manager , Paul Manafort , from Ukraine 's pro - Russian deposed president , Viktor Yanukovych ) . These facts have led to wilder theories about the Kremlin plotting to elect Trump , or even that Trump might be doing Russia ’s bidding . This speculation is just that : speculation .
Trump ’s foreign policy advisor Carter Page has his own business ties to the state - controlled Russian oil giant Gazprom . ... Another Trump foreign policy advisor , retired Army Lt . Gen. Michael Flynn , flew to Moscow last year to attend a gala banquet celebrating Russia Today , the Kremlin ’s propaganda channel , and was seated at the head table near Putin . Manafort denounced the New York Times Monday for a deeply reported story that broke over the weekend showing that secret ledgers in Ukraine contained references to $ 12.7 million in paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforserviceearmarked for him . The Times report said that the party of former Ukraine president and pro - Russia ally , Viktor Yanukovych , set aside the payments for Manafort as part of an illegal and previously undisclosed system of payments . “ Once again , the New York Times has chosen to purposefully ignore facts and professional journalism to fit their political agenda , choosing to attack my character and reputation rather than present an honest report , ” Manafort said in a statement first reported by NBC News .
But even Clinton , who had anticipated a smooth " coronation " to the Democratic presidential nomination , still faced two uphill battles , first for the nomination against Senator Bernie Sanders , and then to win the national election in November , Schirach predicted . " As several opinion polls show , a majority of Americans do not like her , in large part because she is seen as the latest manifestation of the ‘ Clinton Machine , ’ " he acknowledged , referring to the entrenched connections and loyalists in the US establishment . Sanders has routinely criticized Clinton for her connections to the large financial institutions on Wall Street and hefty paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforserviceand donations she received from them . President Putin was also accurate in his observation because the very structure of the US political system was strongly weighted against change , renewal and reform by electing new people with different ideas to the two chambers of Congress , Schirach maintained . " The real problem in American politics is that the system at the congressional level — mostly in the House of Representatives , but also in Senate elections — strongly favors incumbents , " he stated .
Enlarge this image toggle caption Taylor Hill / WireImage / Getty Images Taylor Hill / WireImage / Getty Images A newly revealed memo from a former aide to Bill Clinton details substantial overlap between donors to the nonprofit Clinton Foundation and the former president 's personal financial activities , a $ 30 million - plus enterprise described in the memo as " Bill Clinton , Inc. " Money managers UBS and Barclays , mining giant BHP , and the for - profit educational company Laureate International Universities each made substantial paymentstransaction.transfermoney.payforserviceto Bill Clinton for speeches or " advisory services , " while also contributing to the Clinton Foundation . Most of these payments were brokered by Doug Band , who served as a personal aide to Bill Clinton during his White House years , and later as a chief fundraiser for the Clinton Foundation . In 2011 , Band formed his own corporate consulting firm , Teneo Strategies , along with another Clinton ally , Declan Kelley .