Manafort is stepping down in the wake of a campaign shake-up, as well as revelations about his work for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine.
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Manafort, who only took over as campaign chairman from Corey Lewandowski in June, has in the past week been linked to covert U.S. lobbying for Ukraine’s pro-Russia government and failed to disclose his foreign links as per United States law. On Thursday, the AP reported that it had obtained emails revealing further details: Gates directed an unregistered influence campaign that included attempts to gain positive press coverage for Ukrainian officials, sway us legislators, gather political intelligence and undercut American public sympathy for the imprisoned rival of Ukraine’s then-president. The report said Manafort and Rick Gates, his deputy in his consulting work and on the Trump campaign, did not register as foreign agents, a requirement for those lobbying on behalf of foreign leaders or parties.
The campaign initially framed the move as an expansion of the team rather than a demotion of Manafort, but he resigned as campaign chairman Friday. The candidate said he is “very appreciative for his great work in helping to get us where we are today, and in particular his work guiding us through the delegate and convention process”.
Trump added that “Paul is a true professional and I wish him the greatest success”.
“There is no question that Gates and Manafort should have registered along with the lobbying firms”, said Joseph Sandler of Sandler Reiff Lamb Rosenstein & Birkenstock, a Democratic-leaning Washington law firm that advises Republican and Democratic lobbyists.
“Donald Trump is back in Hillary Clinton’s head”, Conway said. Manafort served as a public relations adviser to Moscow-backed president Viktor Yanukovych- now living in self-imposed exile in Russia- and his Regions Party between 2007 and 2012.
Mr Moran said: “My concern with Trump is that he will help lock in Latino voting patterns for the foreseeable future”.
Trump also made a last-minute scheduling change, scrapping a planned event in NY in order to travel with his running mate Mike Pence to tour the flood damage in Louisiana on Friday morning.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, center, and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, listens to flood victims Jimmy and Olive Gordan during a tour of their flood damaged home in Denham Springs, La., Friday, Aug. 19, 2016. Leshchenko said Manafort had worked in Ukraine for several years and that the entries in the ledgers are the only explanation of how he could have been paid. “And I do regret it – particularly where it may have caused personal pain”. Campaign spokesman Jason Miller announced on Twitter that Gates would take on a new role as liaison to the Republican National Committee, which has had a turbulent relationship with its nominee this year.
A large part of Trump’s spending jump in July went to Giles-Parscale, a San Antonio, Texas-based web design and digital marketing firm. At a Baptist church later, a woman screamed “We knew you would be here for us!” as he and Pence sat down with volunteers.
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Clinton, by contrast, has spent more than $75 million on advertising in 10 states since locking up her party’s nomination. Says Ben Shapiro, “So, with Manafort gone, who’s the next Russian ambassador to the Trump campaign?”
