{"id":1031678,"date":"2024-05-12T01:00:22","date_gmt":"2024-05-12T01:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/democrats.org\/?p=1031678"},"modified":"2024-05-12T01:00:22","modified_gmt":"2024-05-12T01:00:22","slug":"fraudster-paul-manafort-is-far-from-the-only-crook-convict-and-conspiracy-theorist-in-trumps-inner-orbit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/democrats.org\/news\/fraudster-paul-manafort-is-far-from-the-only-crook-convict-and-conspiracy-theorist-in-trumps-inner-orbit\/","title":{"rendered":"Fraudster Paul Manafort is Far From the Only Crook, Convict, and Conspiracy Theorist in Trump\u2019s Inner Orbit\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Following today\u2019s announcement that convicted fraudster Paul Manafort had been involved in GOP convention efforts and would now \u201csupport President Trump every other way [he] can,\u201d <\/em>DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPaul Manafort isn\u2019t the first convicted felon to have a prominent role in Donald Trump\u2019s orbit \u2013 and he certainly won\u2019t be the last. Today\u2019s announcement only underscores just how many convicts, cranks, and conspiracy theorists have been given top-billing within Trump\u2019s disaster of a campaign. From delusional conspiracy theorists and convicted felons like Roger Stone to creeps with battery and assault charges like Corey Lewandowski, it\u2019s clear that Trump\u2019s campaign and the RNC are the place to be for unemployable lowlifes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul Manafort confirmed he was \u201coffering my advice and suggestions to the Trump campaign on the upcoming convention\u201d \u2013 before stepping back to \u201csupport President Trump every other way I can\u201d after fresh reporting on his work lobbying for foreign corporations with ties to the Chinese Communist Party.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

New York Times<\/a>: \u201cPaul Manafort, the longtime Republican strategist and chairman of Donald J. Trump\u2019s 2016 campaign, who had assumed an unpaid role advising party officials on the nominating convention, stepped aside on Saturday after questions arose about his involvement in the convention\u2019s planning process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMr. Manafort\u2019s move came after The New York Times reported that he had been on the ground in Milwaukee last week for planning meetings for the convention, as well as a Washington Post story that said he was involved in work connected to foreign officials and businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[…]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMr. Manafort, who helped stave off efforts to thwart Mr. Trump\u2019s nomination at the 2016 convention, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for various financial crimes, including tax evasion, bank fraud, and money laundering \u2014 unrelated to the 2016 campaign \u2014 before being pardoned by Mr. Trump before he left office.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Washington Post<\/a>: \u201cWith his freedom, Manafort hardly retired to a quiet home life. Instead, the longtime power broker \u2014 briefly brought low by the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election \u2014 reengaged in international consulting, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post and people familiar with his activities who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter\u2019s sensitivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cManafort has been assisting an effort to launch a Netflix-like mobile streaming and entertainment platform in China that, according to corporate documents, has the endorsement of the Chinese government.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump can\u2019t stop surrounding himself with election deniers, conspiracy theorists, and convicted felons. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Axios<\/a>: \u201cTrump eyes convicts and conspiracists for 2024 reunion\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSidelined characters from former President Trump’s past campaigns \u2014 \u2018crazies,\u2019 some of his top advisers call them \u2014 are reattaching themselves to his inner circle now that he’s locked up the Republican nomination. \u2026 ex-advisers, conspiracy theorists and convicted felons are now knocking on the campaign’s door \u2014 and some are getting in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Guardian<\/a>: \u201cHeadache for campaign team as Trump gets the band back together\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New York Times<\/a>: \u201cFormer President Donald J. Trump recently told aides to hire Laura Loomer, a far-right and anti-Muslim activist with a history of expressing bigoted views, for a campaign role, according to four people familiar with the plans. Mr. Trump met with Ms. Loomer recently and directed advisers to give her a role in support of his candidacy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rolling Stone<\/a>: \u201cThey Helped Trump Plan a Coup. He Wants Them Back for a Second Term\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hill<\/a>: \u201cTrump says he\u2019ll bring back Michael Flynn if he wins in 2024: \u2018He\u2019s some man\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CNN<\/a>: \u201cTrump hosted Holocaust denier at Mar-a-Lago estate during visit with Kanye West, a week after announcing 2024 run\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corey Lewandowski is not only helping out Trump\u2019s campaign, he\u2019s on the shortlist to help run the Republican National Convention \u2014 despite facing battery charges and allegations of physically assaulting a journalist.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

New York Times<\/a>: \u201cAides to former President Donald J. Trump are discussing getting Corey Lewandowski, Mr. Trump\u2019s former campaign manager who was shoved out of a pro-Trump super PAC in 2021, involved in the Republican National Convention, according to two people briefed on the discussions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

InDepthNH<\/a>: \u201cThe Republican frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, filed as a candidate for the Republican Presidential Primary in New Hampshire Monday saying if elected he would bring down utility prices for Granite Staters by building a pipeline. \u2026 Accompanying him at the desk for the signing of paperwork was Corey Lewandowski, who was 2016 campaign director for Trump and continues to be a political operative.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Politico<\/a>: \u201cLewandowski was also charged with battery in 2016 after yanking the arm of a reporter, Michelle Fields, at a Trump campaign event. The charges were later dropped, but Lewandowski, who at the time was serving as Trump\u2019s campaign manager, claimed the incident never happened before video emerged confirming that it did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roger Stone is fully back helping Trump\u2019s campaign \u2013 he joined campaign staff on stage during Trump\u2019s Super Tuesday speech.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

HuffPost<\/a>: \u201cPresumptive GOP nominee Trump is reportedly in talks with \u2026 longtime adviser Roger Stone to boost his 2024 campaign.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CNN<\/a>: \u201cStone remains an outspoken supporter of [Trump], trafficking in unsavory rumors about Trump\u2019s political opponents on social media and hosting a radio show on a conservative New York station that debuted with a Trump appearance. He is also a regular at Mar-a-Lago and walked out with Trump\u2019s campaign staff on Super Tuesday for the former president\u2019s victory speech.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Axios<\/a>: \u201cLongtime political operative and Trump confidant Roger Stone \u2014 who was convicted of obstructing a congressional probe into Trump’s 2016 campaign and sentenced to 40 months in prison before Trump commuted the sentence \u2014 has been a frequent presence at Mar-a-Lago lately. Stone was at Trump’s victory party there on Super Tuesday. He also has publicly weighed in on how Trump should pick his V.P nominee.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Following today\u2019s announcement that convicted fraudster Paul Manafort had been involved in GOP convention efforts and would now \u201csupport President Trump every other way [he] can,\u201d DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement:  \u201cPaul Manafort isn\u2019t the first convicted felon to have a prominent role in Donald Trump\u2019s orbit \u2013 and he […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":263,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1031678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFraudster Paul Manafort is Far From the Only Crook, Convict, and Conspiracy Theorist in Trump\u2019s Inner Orbit\u00a0 - Democrats<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/democrats.org\/news\/fraudster-paul-manafort-is-far-from-the-only-crook-convict-and-conspiracy-theorist-in-trumps-inner-orbit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Democrats\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-05-12T01:00:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/democrats.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/War-Room-Master-Image.png?w=1024\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Claire DePree\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Claire DePree\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/democrats.org\/news\/fraudster-paul-manafort-is-far-from-the-only-crook-convict-and-conspiracy-theorist-in-trumps-inner-orbit\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/democrats.org\/news\/fraudster-paul-manafort-is-far-from-the-only-crook-convict-and-conspiracy-theorist-in-trumps-inner-orbit\/\",\"name\":\"Fraudster Paul Manafort is Far From the Only Crook, Convict, and Conspiracy Theorist in Trump\u2019s Inner Orbit\u00a0 - 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