Embattled Donald Trump chief strategist Paul Manafort has resigned from the campaign, in the wake of a staff shakeup and new revelations related to his work on a lobbying effort in Ukraine.
“This morning Paul Manafort offered, and I accepted, his resignation from the campaign,” Trump said in a statement Friday morning. “I am very appreciative for his great work in helping to get us where we are today, and in particular his work guiding us through the delegate and convention process. Paul is a true professional and I wish him the greatest success.”
Manafort had already been effectively demoted earlier this week when Trump had named Breitbart News executive Stephen Bannon the campaign CEO and pollster Kellyanne Conway as campaign manager.
Then late Thursday, the Associated Press reported that a firm run by Manafort had orchestrated a covert lobbying operation on behalf of the pro-Russian ruling political party in Ukraine that was aimed at swaying public opinion in the U.S.
The effort would seem to trigger a requirement under federal law that the firm register as a foreign agent, which apparently was not done.
The news on that front comes as the Trump team has been under public and media scrutiny for its apparent political and business ties to Russia leader Vladimir Putin.
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Chris Graham
