Newly released court documents reveal dozens of formerly redacted pages detailing the investigation into Paul Manafort's alleged criminal activity. Manafort is accused of corruption and money laundering in Ukraine.
The new information connects Manafort and Rick Gates (the Trump campaign's former deputy chairman) to suspected corruption by the Ukranian government.
Manfort has been charged with failing to register as a foreign agent, lying to investors, and conspiracy to launder money. He is set to appear in federal court in Washington, D.C., in September to face those charges. He will also face a 18 separate criminal charges in late July at a federal court in Virginia.
Manafort was originally placed under house arrest until his trial, but he was moved to jail after special counsel Robert Mueller's team told the judge that they had evidence that Manafort was contacting witnesses in his trial, telling them how to testify.
Manafort's lawyers denied that he knew that these people were witnesses. Manafort will remain in custody until his September trial.
Prosecutors believe that Manafort's alleged criminal activity in Ukraine was supported by former Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, and Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.
A newly revealed affidavit lists a $10 million loan from Deripaska to a shell corporation controlled by Manafort. Deripaska has accused Manafort and Gates of disappearing with $26 million of his money.
Other documents show that this same shell corporation was used to buy an apartment in Trump Tower, around the same time it was being funded by Deripaska.
Another warrant showed that Manafort was severely in debt while he was working on the Trump campaign. One partially unredacted document details someone saying that Manafort "was so in debt." Another commented that he was "$1 million off!" However, enough was redacted that it is not clear who was making these comments.
These new search warrants do not connect the Trump campaign to crimes that Manafort had allegedly committed. Manafort himself has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Virginia federal Judge TS Ellis is reportedly considering a request from Manafort to surpress any evidence that had been obtained by searches of his home and storage unit.
