President Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, reportedly faced a blackmail attempt.
Politico reported Thursday that a purported cyber attack of Manafort’s daughter shows a text that appears to be from Ukrainian parliamentarian Serhiy Leshchenko, attempting to reach Manafort.
In the message, the sender says he has politically damaging information on both Manafort and Trump.
“I need to get in touch with Paul i need to share some important information with him regarding ukraine investigation,” the sender says in the text message to Manafort’s daughter.
{mosads}“I actually have proofs that he received money…If i dont get any reply from you iam gonaa pass it on to the fbi and ukrainian authorities including media…As soon as he comes back to me i will pass you documents.”
A note attached to the text alleges the discovery of “bulletproof facts regarding the person — Ukraine resident whos signature is inside the Yanukovich accounting book and who was responsible for rendering assets to you personally for your consulting services during organized meetings.”
“One of such meeting with Donadl Trump took place on 06.17.2012 with close Yanukovich affiliate — governor of Cherkassy — Mr. S. Tulub,” the note attached to the text reads.
“Considering all the facts and evidence that are in my possession, and before possible decision whether to pass this to [the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine] or FBI I would like to get your opinion on this and maybe your way to work things out that will persuade me to do otherwise.”
In a post on Facebook, Leshchenko denied the correspondence.
A White House official questioned the claim, saying the president didn’t work with Manafort prior to the 2016 campaign, according to Politico.
Manafort confirmed the authenticity of the texts sent to his daughter but said he didn’t arrange a meeting between Trump and Tulub in 2012.
He also said he had received similar texts to his own phone number from the same address in the past.
The texts reportedly came before The New York Times published a story last August alleging that handwritten ledgers show $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments earmarked for Manafort from former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s pro-Russia political party.
Manafort denied the claims.
Several lawmakers recently have raised questions about the connections between the Trump campaign and Russia. Recent stories in The New York Times and on CNN alleged that Trump campaign officials had constant contact with Russian intelligence officials before Trump was sworn in.
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