Robert Mueller dismisses Paul Manafort’s claim of going beyond his mandate
Newark — US special counsel Robert Mueller defended the indictment of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort by releasing a secret memorandum granting him authority to investigate crimes related to Manafort’s political consulting work for former President Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine. Mueller is using the memo to refute Manafort’s claims that prosecutors went too far by investigating crimes beyond Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Prosecutors released the memo just before midnight on Monday, arguing that Manafort can’t legally challenge his indictment for financial crimes arising from his work for Yanukovych and other Russian-backed politicians. The memo, dated August 2 2017, and signed by US deputy attorney-general Rod Rosenstein, supplements a May 2017 appointment order directing Mueller to investigate possible co-ordination between Russia and the Trump campaign, as well as "any matters that arose or may arise directly" from his probe. A lawyer for Manafort di...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.