Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort secretly worked for Russian billionaire to ‘benefit Putin government’

Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman once secretly worked for a Russian billionaire to advance Vladimir Putin’s interests, leaked documents have claimed. He allegedly proposed an ambitious political strategy to undermine anti-Russian opposition across former Soviet republics, despite claims from the Trump administration that he never worked in the Kremlin’s interests.

“We are now of the belief that this model can greatly benefit the Putin Government if employed at the correct levels with the appropriate commitment to success,” Mr Manafort wrote in a 2005 memo to Oleg Deripaska, a close ally of the Russian president and aluminium magnate.

He added that the effort “will be offering a great service that can re-focus, both internally and externally, the policies of the Putin government.”

Mr Manafort confirmed he worked for Mr Deripaska but told the Associated Press his rule was being unfairly cast as “inappropriate or nefarious” as part of a “smear campaign”…

Source: Donald Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort secretly worked for Russian billionaire to ‘benefit Putin government’ | The Independent