Former Trump campaign manager subpoenaed by Senate Judiciary Committee

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been issued a subpoena compelling him to participate in a hearing tomorrow about Russian interference in the election.

"While we were willing to accommodate Mr. Manafort’s request to cooperate with the committee’s investigation without appearing at Wednesday’s hearing, we were unable to reach an agreement for a voluntary transcribed interview with the Judiciary Committee," according to a joint statement from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the ranking member of the committee.

It continued, "While the Judiciary Committee was willing to cooperate on equal terms with any other committee to accommodate Mr. Manafort’s request, ultimately that was not possible."

Manafort may be excused from the hearing "if he would be willing to agree to production of documents and a transcribed interview, with the understanding that the interview would not constitute a waiver of his rights or prejudice the committee’s right to compel his testimony in the future," the statement said.

The subpoena was issued Monday evening.

Jason Maloni, a spokesperson for Manafort, told ABC News that Manafort spoke to the Senate Intelligence Committee this morning.

"Paul Manafort met this morning, by previous agreement, with the bipartisan staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee and answered their questions fully," Maloni said.

In regards to Manafort’s negotiations with the Senate Judiciary Committee, Maloni told ABC News that “Paul has been cooperation from the beginning and we hope to work something out.” A source with knowledge of those negotiations told ABC News that Manafort’s team was invited to attend today’s session with Senate Intelligence investigators, but the Judiciary Committee declined that invitation.

Manafort, 68, joined the Trump campaign on March 29, 2016, when he was named campaign convention manager for the mid-July festivities in Cleveland.

Manafort was "volunteering his considerable insight and expertise because of his belief that Mr. Trump is the right person for these difficult times," a news release from the Trump campaign said at the time.

Manafort, who was initially hired to wrangle delegates, organized and directed the Republican National Convention, which was held in Cleveland, Ohio, from July 19-21.

Manafort's departure from the campaign came on Aug. 19, the day after The Associated Press reported that his firm had lobbied in the United States on behalf of the ruling Ukrainian political party even though Manafort did not disclose his work as a foreign agent, as mandated by federal law.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

from ABC News: Politics http://ift.tt/2tzNIlu

Tweet