Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort provided an individual identified as a Kremlin agent with internal campaign polling data, while Russia’s military was executing a political attack on the United States presidential elections of 2016.
Things we learned today from Manafort's lawyers' redaction errors: Manafort is alleged to have met in Madrid w/Kilimnik; shared polling data with him; and discussed a Ukraine peace plan w/him more than once. Is that the same peace plan that Cohen delivered to Flynn in Jan 2017?
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) January 8, 2019
That court filing says that Manafort shared the Trump campaign’s polling data with Konstantin Kilimnik, whom the FBI maintains is linked to Russian intelligence.
The filing appears to reveal details that were intended to have been redacted before going public. It explains how Russia probably gained access to Trump campaign data.
These failed redactions show Manafort had a meeting with Kilimnik in Madrid, gave him campaign polling data, and discussed a Ukrainian peace plan with him – then lied about all of it. Very normal contacts between a US presidential campaign manager & a Russian intelligence asset. https://t.co/9tt5sjdVVb
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) January 8, 2019
From the Washington Post:
The former Trump campaign chairman on Tuesday denied in a filing from his defense team that he broke his plea deal by lying repeatedly to prosecutors working for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about that and other issues.
In his rebuttal to the special counsel’s claims of dishonesty, Manafort exposed details of the dispute, much of which centers on his relationship with Kilimnik. The Russian citizen, who began working for Manafort’s consulting firm starting in 2005, has been charged with helping his former boss to obstruct Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference into the 2016 election. He is believed to be in Moscow.
The special counsel alleged Manafort “lied about sharing polling data with Mr. Kilimnik related to the 2016 presidential campaign,” according to the unredacted filing. The source of that data, including whether it came from the Trump campaign, is unclear.
According to the court filing, the special counsel also accused Manafort of lying about discussing a Ukrainian peace plan with Kilimnik during the 2016 campaign.
“Manafort ‘conceded’ that he discussed or may have discussed a Ukraine peace plan with Mr. Kilimnik on more than one occasion,” his attorneys quote the special counsel as saying, and “’acknowledged’ that he and Mr. Kilimnik met while they were both in Madrid,” without giving a date.
Manafort was in close contact with Kilimnik through the campaign, including meeting with him in the United States in May and again in August 2016.
Paul Manafort is suffering from gout, depression and anxiety, according to his lawyers pic.twitter.com/HaiUiJQztp
— Chris Megerian (@ChrisMegerian) January 8, 2019
? NEW: Paul Manafort's attorneys failed to properly redact their filing. They reveal that Mueller alleges Manafort "lied about sharing polling data with Mr. Kilimnik related to the 2016 presidential campaign". Konstantin Kilimnik has alleged ties to Russian intelligence. ?
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) January 8, 2019
Manafort attorneys also accidentally reveal via failed redaction that Mueller says Manafort was in contact with "a third-party asking permission to use Mr. Manafort’s name as an introduction in the event the third-party met the President."
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) January 8, 2019
Is that the new term for “campaign manager”? https://t.co/nQQzN8Sibd
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) January 8, 2019
And a detail that got cut from our final days story the other day – Manafort sent at least one memo advising Trump to focus on Wi and MI
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 9, 2016