Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort lied to investigators about his relationship with a Russian agent, according to court documents unsealed on Monday.
Manafort lied about his relationship with Konstantin Kilimnik during former special counsel Bob Mueller’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.
Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates “periodically” provided internal Trump campaign polling data to Kilimnik, the documents say. Kilimnik then passed those documents to the Kremlin.
The documents were filed by the government to show that Manafort violated a plea deal with federal investigators.
Manafort was convicted of numerous charges in 2019 and was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison.
Manafort was pardoned by Donald Trump in December after declaring that he was a victim of “perhaps the greatest witch hunt in American history.”
“Manafort lied”:
The documents show that Manafort claimed to prosecutors that he never told Gates to share the polling data with Kilimnik, but emails and Gates’ testimony contradicted the claim.
Prosecutors said Manafort also lied about several discussions he had with Kilimnik about a Ukraine “peace plan” which investigators believe was a strategy intended to give a “backdoor way for Russia to control part of eastern Ukraine.”
Manafort also lied about being in contact with the Trump administration after he was convicted, prosecutors said.
Manafort claimed that he had “no direct or indirect communication with anyone” in the administration but prosecutors wrote “the evidence demonstrates that Manafort lied ... Manafort had contacts with Administration officials.”
FBI searching for Kilimnik:
The FBI has offered a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Kilimnik.
Kilimnik is believed to be living in Russia.
The Treasury Department earlier this year in a sanctions announcement identified Kilimnik as a “known Russian Intelligence Services agent implementing influence operations on their behalf.”
“Kilimnik provided the Russian Intelligence Services with sensitive information on polling and campaign strategy,” the department said. “Additionally, Kilimnik sought to promote the narrative that Ukraine, not Russia, had interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election… Kilimnik has also sought to assist designated former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych. At Yanukovych’s direction, Kilimnik sought to institute a plan that would return Yanukovych to power in Ukraine.”
