The Trump Russian-Ukraine connection

NY Times:

Secret Ledger in Ukraine Lists Cash for Top Trump Aide


Records show $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments designated for Paul Manafort, the campaign manager for Donald J. Trump, from a pro-Russian political party from 2007 to 2012.
Investigators assert that the disbursements were part of a corrupt network they say was used to loot Ukrainian assets and influence elections.
It is not clear to me what Manafort did  to earn the payment, or whether those who paid it think he is earning it now.  I suspect he will assert that the payment had nothing to do with his current role in the Trump campaign.

But Trump has said some weird things about the Russian intent in Ukraine which seems inconsistent with events on the ground.  If the content of the ledger is accurate, Manafort will no doubt be called on to explain it.

The Washington Times reports:
Paul Manafort, Trump campaign chief, denies getting ‘off-the-books’ payment from pro-Russia party

...
“I have never received a single ‘off-the-books cash payment’ as falsely ‘reported’ by The New York Times, nor have I ever done work for the governments of Ukraine and Russia,” Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort said in a statement Monday.
...
I wonder if Putin put someone up to suggesting the payment.

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