By Chris Megerian
Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, apparently shared polling data during the 2016 presidential campaign with Konstantin Kilimnik, a business partner in Ukraine who allegedly has ties to Russian intelligence, according to a court filing released Tuesday.
It’s unclear whether the information involved internal campaign data or when exactly it was provided. But the interaction could have provided Russians with valuable knowledge on the presidential race at a time when Moscow was undertaking a covert effort to sway the election to Trump by releasing hacked Democratic Party emails and spreading misinformation on social media.
The document was filed by Manafort’s lawyers to rebut accusations from special counsel Robert S. Mueller III that Manafort lied to prosecutors after agreeing to cooperate. Manafort’s lawyers said he “provided complete and truthful information to the best of his ability” during 12 meetings and two appearances before the grand jury.
In recapping the accusations that Mueller had leveled against their client, the lawyers wrote that Manafort allegedly misled prosecutors about his communications with Kilimnik, who worked with Manafort when he was advising the country’s pro-Russian government. Included in the allegation was “sharing polling data … related to the 2016 presidential campaign,” they wrote.
That detail was supposed to be redacted in the court filing, but was easily discerned by reporters and analysts scrutinizing the document.
A spokesman for Manafort did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for the special counsel’s office declined to comment.
Manafort was convicted in federal court in Virginia last August of eight counts of bank fraud and tax evasion connected to his work in Ukraine. He later pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to avoid a second trial in Washington on related charges.
However, his agreement with prosecutors collapsed when they accused him of lying during their meetings.
Manafort’s lawyers said he did not intentionally attempt to mislead the special counsel’s office and “indeed, it is fair to say that mistakes and failed recollections are common.”
They also said Manafort has been suffering in jail while awaiting sentencing. Manafort is in solitary confinement “to ensure his safety” the lawyers said, and that has “taken a toll on his physical and mental health.”
They said Manafort, 69, suffers from severe gout that has occasionally left him in a wheelchair, and he also struggles with depression and anxiety.
Manafort has been in jail since last June, when a federal judge said he violated his bail by reaching out to potential witnesses in his case.
Manafort is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 8 in Virginia and March 5 in Washington. More legal back and forth is expected before then.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered prosecutors to provide more details on their allegations of lying by Jan. 14, and Manafort’s team can respond by Jan. 18. If a hearing is necessary, it will be held on Jan. 25.
