Paul Manafort was a political consultant and lobbyist who worked on numerous Republican campaigns in the United States, including those of Presidents [[Ronald Reagan]], George H.W. Bush, and [[Donald Trump]]. He was born on April 1, 1949, in New Britain, Connecticut, and earned a law degree from Georgetown University. Manafort's work also included advising foreign leaders and political parties, particularly in Ukraine, where he worked for pro-Russian politicians. He became a central figure in investigations into Russian interference in the [2016 U.S. presidential election](https://doctorparadox.net/category/politics/2016-election/) after he was appointed campaign chairman for Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2016. Manafort was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2017 on charges including conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, and making false statements. He was found guilty on eight charges and pleaded guilty to two more, and was sentenced to a total of 7.5 years in prison. He was released to home confinement in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ## Paul Manafort and Roger Stone Paul Manafort and [[Roger Stone]] had a long-standing professional and personal relationship that spanned decades. They first met in the 1970s when they both worked on the presidential campaign of [[Ronald Reagan]]. Manafort and Stone went on to work together on numerous political campaigns, including those of [[Bob Dole]], George H.W. Bush, and [[Donald Trump]]. They were known for their aggressive political tactics and their ability to win elections. In addition to their professional relationship, Manafort and Stone were also friends outside of politics. They shared a passion for fine clothing and expensive cars, and both had homes in Florida. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Manafort served as Trump's campaign chairman, while Stone worked as an informal advisor to the campaign. Both men were investigated as part of the special counsel's probe into Russian interference in the election, and both were ultimately convicted of crimes related to their work during the campaign. Manafort was found to have shared sensitive campaign data with Russian oligarch [[Oleg Deripaska]], as a way of paying off millions of debt he owed to the wealthiest Russian businessman. ![[paul-manafort.png]] ## Manafort convicted of fraud and tax evasion In 2018, Paul Manafort was convicted at trial in the Eastern District of Virginia on bank fraud and tax charges in the Eastern District of Virginia. On top of failing to register as a foreign agent, Manafort hid his earnings via tax schemes and cheats to avoid paying taxes on the millions of dollars his Eastern European autocrats were doling out for his services as Wormtongue. He lived a lavish livestyle full of private schools and ostrich suits, all while dodging taxes and ripping off the average person. ## Manafort violated FARA laws After his earlier convictions and incarceration in 2018, Paul J. Manafort, Jr., *pleaded guilty* in the District of Columbia to another two new felony counts: (i) conspiracy to commit multiple offenses, including violating FARA by failing to register and by providing false statements in a document filed with FARA, and laundering money; and (ii) conspiracy to obstruct justice by tampering with witnesses. Manafort failed to register under FARA as an agent of the Government of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Party of Regions, and former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. He was sentenced to 73 months’ imprisonment, including the statutory maximum 60 months for the conspiracy to violate FARA (Manafort is due to serve an additional 17 months stemming from his 2018 convictions in the Eastern District of Virginia).