Here are some things to remember as we watch the Manfort trial unfold and Donald Trump vent his rage on Twitter:
- Paul Manafort, Trump’s ex-campaign chairman and friend of nearly four decades, is on trial for charges related to his work for the former pro-Kremlin regime in Ukraine.
- Contrary to what the president claims, Trump has a long history with Manafort, and he played an intricate role in the Trump campaign.
- Manafort was the chairman of the Trump campaign and worked on the campaign for nearly five months.
- Manafort continued to be a part of Trump’s inner circle after Election Day.
- Manafort and Trump have known each other for nearly FOUR decades and have a business relationship dating back nearly that long.
- The charges in the Manafort trial fall under the purview of the special counsel and are relevant to the Russia investigation.
- Manafort’s work for the pro-Kremlin regime in Ukraine was bankrolled by a Putin-tied Russian oligarch.
- Manafort’s right-hand man in Ukraine was suspected former GRU agent Konstantin Kilimnik. The FBI believes Kilimnik maintained his ties to Russian intelligence during the 2016 presidential campaign, when he was in regular contact with Manafort.