THREAD: Paul Manafort’s trial for bank and tax fraud starts tomorrow. Here's what you should know about Trump’s erstwhile campaign manager before then: (1/11) themoscowproject.org/dispatch/what-…
Capping off a career peddling influence for some of the world's worst warlords and dictators, Manafort made his fortune—including $13 million under the table—working for the pro-Putin Ukrainian politician Viktor Yanukovych and his Party of Regions. (2/11) nytimes.com/2016/08/15/us/…
Along the way, he worked with—and reportedly went deep in debt to—Oleg Deripaska, a Kremlin-linked aluminum magnate currently suing him for almost $20 million. (3/11) nbcnews.com/news/us-news/r…
While on the Trump campaign, Manafort, through an associate with known ties to Russian intelligence, reportedly offered Deripaska private briefings. (4/11) washingtonpost.com/politics/manaf…
Manafort ultimately became Trump’s campaign chairman, and attended the now-infamous June 9 meeting in Trump Tower. (5/11) cnn.com/2017/07/14/pol…
You probably won’t hear about collusion in this trial, which is mainly concerned with alleged financial crimes. But those crimes point to a clear motive for collusion: (6/11) themoscowproject.org/dispatch/what-…
Manafort was in massive debt due to his shady business practices and financial schemes, and was looking to pay it off using his newfound connections. (7/11) themoscowproject.org/dispatch/what-…
That’s why he would offer Deripaska private briefings, and why he may have made a deal with a Chicago-based banker for $16 million in loans in exchange for consideration as Secretary of the Army. (8/11) wsj.com/articles/new-y…
Manafort had a lot of influence during the campaign, and advised Trump on cabinet picks (and Russia stuff) during the transition. (9/11) thedailybeast.com/paul-manafort-…
Peddling that influence for self-enrichment, and to help his Russian buddies, wouldn’t be a stretch; it would be entirely in keeping with his history in business and politics. For more on that, read our explainer on him here: (10/11) themoscowproject.org/explainers/eve…
Or check out his page on our comprehensive, interactive timeline here: (11/11) themoscowproject.org/players/paulma…
