Advertisement

Mueller has 400,000 documents in Manafort, Gates probe

By Allen Cone
Paul Manafort, who was Donald Trump's campaign manager, leaves the Prettyman Federal Courthouse after a bond hearing in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 6. The special counselor's office reported it has 400,00 documents pertaining to Manafort and Rick Gates, his business and campaign aide. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
Paul Manafort, who was Donald Trump's campaign manager, leaves the Prettyman Federal Courthouse after a bond hearing in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 6. The special counselor's office reported it has 400,00 documents pertaining to Manafort and Rick Gates, his business and campaign aide. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Special counsel Robert Mueller has 40,000 documents in the case against President Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and aide Rick Gates, according to new court filings.

The financial records, corporate records and emails involving the defendants include 2,000 documents defined as "hot," meaning they contain crucial information, Mueller's office reported in a court filing Friday.

Advertisement

More than 116,000 domestic financial records are considered "particularly relevant," according to court documents. They also obtained foreign bank account records from Cyprus, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Some of the information came from 36 laptops, phones, thumb drives and other electronic devices that were seized during the raid of Manafort's house in Alexandria, Va., on July 26.

The investigators obtained 15 search warrants.

On Oct. 30, Manafort and Gates pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering and conspiracy as part of Mueller's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with Trump associates.

Both men allegedly secretly worked on behalf of pro-Russian factions in Ukraine, then laundered millions of dollars in profits through foreign bank accounts. They attempted to cover up their work even while they held senior roles in Trump's campaign, the prosecutors said.

Advertisement

Manafort's lawyers had reached an $11.6 million bail deal ending his house arrest and permitting him to travel to Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C.

But Mueller's office wants the arrangement revisited after investigators learned Manafort and a Russian colleague were ghostwriting an editorial about his work in the Ukraine. The prosecution said it violates a Nov. 8 court order "prohibiting such out-of-court statements in order to protect the fairness of the upcoming trial."

Latest Headlines