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| Ex-Trump aide Manafort charged with US tax fraud over Ukraine work | Ex-Trump aide Manafort charged with US tax fraud over Ukraine work |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Donald Trump's former presidential campaign manager, Paul Manafort, has been charged with conspiring to defraud the US in his dealings with Ukraine. | Donald Trump's former presidential campaign manager, Paul Manafort, has been charged with conspiring to defraud the US in his dealings with Ukraine. |
| The 12 charges brought against Mr Manafort and one of his business associates, Rick Gates, include conspiracy to launder money. | The 12 charges brought against Mr Manafort and one of his business associates, Rick Gates, include conspiracy to launder money. |
| Mr Manafort and his lawyer have arrived at an FBI office in Washington. | Mr Manafort and his lawyer have arrived at an FBI office in Washington. |
| The charges are the first to stem from an inquiry into alleged Russian meddling in the US 2016 election. | |
| However, they do not relate to Mr Trump's campaign but to the two men's Ukrainian business dealings up to 2015. | |
| An investigation headed by special counsel Robert Mueller is looking into any links between Russia and the Trump campaign. Both sides deny any collusion. | |
| Good news for Trump... for now | Good news for Trump... for now |
| By Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington | By Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington |
| And so it begins. | And so it begins. |
| For years Paul Manafort operated on the fringes of power, a once-influential Washington player who worked with some less-than-savoury international characters because his services were no longer in high demand domestically. | For years Paul Manafort operated on the fringes of power, a once-influential Washington player who worked with some less-than-savoury international characters because his services were no longer in high demand domestically. |
| Then, like many other politicos in Donald Trump's orbit, he was thrust into the spotlight because more established hands wanted nothing to do with the upstart's presidential campaign. | Then, like many other politicos in Donald Trump's orbit, he was thrust into the spotlight because more established hands wanted nothing to do with the upstart's presidential campaign. |
| Mr Manafort got his big break but it may end up breaking him. That resulting spotlight has drawn attention to Mr Manafort's past dealings and raised questions about his actions while in at the top of the Trump campaign. | Mr Manafort got his big break but it may end up breaking him. That resulting spotlight has drawn attention to Mr Manafort's past dealings and raised questions about his actions while in at the top of the Trump campaign. |
| The good news for Mr Trump is these charges stem from Mr Manafort's past business dealings, not his campaign efforts. He is being accused of working for years for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians and laundering millions in subsequent payments. | The good news for Mr Trump is these charges stem from Mr Manafort's past business dealings, not his campaign efforts. He is being accused of working for years for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians and laundering millions in subsequent payments. |
| It certainly makes Mr Trump's decision to cut Mr Manafort loose last August after details emerged of his Ukrainian ties seem a wise one. | It certainly makes Mr Trump's decision to cut Mr Manafort loose last August after details emerged of his Ukrainian ties seem a wise one. |
| The good news has its limits, however. Mr Manafort will be under growing pressure to co-operate with the Mueller investigation. If he offers up useful information about his time during the campaign, this could be just the first domino to fall. | The good news has its limits, however. Mr Manafort will be under growing pressure to co-operate with the Mueller investigation. If he offers up useful information about his time during the campaign, this could be just the first domino to fall. |
| 'Lavish lifestyle' | |
| The indictment against the two men looks at their links to pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine between 2006 and 2015. | |
| According to the indictment, Mr Manafort and Mr Gates acted as "unregistered agents" of Ukrainian politician Viktor Yanukovych and his party, both in opposition and government. | |
| Mr Yanukovych was deposed as president in 2014 amid mass unrest over his pro-Russian policies. | Mr Yanukovych was deposed as president in 2014 amid mass unrest over his pro-Russian policies. |
| Mr Manafort is accused of having laundered more than $18m (£14m) through offshore bank accounts, using it to buy property, goods and services in transactions concealed from the US authorities. | |
| He is said to have "used his hidden overseas wealth to enjoy a lavish lifestyle" in America. | |
| Altogether, at least $75m in payments from Ukraine flowed through the accounts, the indictment says. | |
| Mr Gates is accused of having transferred more than $3m from the offshore accounts to other accounts he controlled. He has been ordered to surrender to authorities, according to US media reports. | |
| No immediate comment from lawyers for Mr Manafort and Mr Gates was reported after the charges were revealed. | |
| Campaign veteran | |
| The team led by Mr Mueller is known to have conducted extensive interviews with several current and former White House officials as part of the inquiry. | The team led by Mr Mueller is known to have conducted extensive interviews with several current and former White House officials as part of the inquiry. |
| Mr Manafort, 68, has worked on several Republican presidential campaigns, beginning with Gerald Ford's in 1976. | Mr Manafort, 68, has worked on several Republican presidential campaigns, beginning with Gerald Ford's in 1976. |
| He resigned as chairman of the Trump campaign in August 2016 after being accused over his dealings with pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine. He denies any wrongdoing. | He resigned as chairman of the Trump campaign in August 2016 after being accused over his dealings with pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine. He denies any wrongdoing. |
| US intelligence agencies have already concluded that the Russian government sought to help Mr Trump win the election. | US intelligence agencies have already concluded that the Russian government sought to help Mr Trump win the election. |
| But President Trump has strenuously rejected allegations of collusion, calling the investigation a "witch hunt". | But President Trump has strenuously rejected allegations of collusion, calling the investigation a "witch hunt". |