Improperly redacted new court filings show that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort shared 2016 presidential campaign polling data with a Russian with ties to the Kremlin, several news outlets have reported.
The latest information, contained in a court filing intended to be redacted, indicates a way in which Russian operatives could have accessed Trump campaign data.
Manafort denied Tuesday that he had lied to the special counsel’s prosecutors about that, exposing in the process details of the dispute which largely centers on his relationship with Konstantin Kilimnik.
Kilimnik first started working for the former campaign chairman in 2005 as part of his consulting firm. He has been charged with helping Manafort obstruct Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian election interference, The Washington Post informs.
The unredacted court filing further shows that Mueller alleged Manafort “lied about sharing polling data with Mr. Kilimnik related to the 2016 presidential campaign.” The source of the data remains unclear for now.
The filing further shows that Manafort has been accused of lying about discussing a Ukrainian peace plan with Kilimnik during the 2016 campaign.
Attorneys for the former campaign chairman quoted Mueller as saying that “Manafort ’conceded’ that he discussed or may have discussed a Ukraine peace plan with Mr. Kilimnik on more than one occasion,” and that he met with Kilimnik when both men were in Madrid.
Manafort’s lawyers also maintained Tuesday that his inconsistencies when testifying were honest mistakes.
“These occurrences happened during a period when Mr. Manafort was managing a U.S. presidential campaign. Issues and communications related to Ukrainian political events simply were not at the forefront of Mr. Manafort’s mind during the period at issue and it is not surprising at all that Mr. Manafort was unable to recall specific details prior to having his recollection refreshed,” their court submission read.
The Post adds that Kilimnik has said he was in close contact with Manafort during the presidential campaign as well as that the two met in the United States in May and in August 2016.
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