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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 31 OcTOber 2017
First guilty plea, indictment of Trump aides in Russia probe

Continued from Front who was appointed in May presidential election in his poulos admitted lying to paign was “extremely lim-
to lead the Justice Depart- favor, the central issue be- FBI agents about the na- ited.” She said that “any
George Papadopoulos, ment’s investigation — is hind Mueller’s mandate. ture of his interactions with actions that he took would
also a former campaign have been on his own.”
adviser, faced further ques- The criminal case against
tioning and then sentenc- Manafort, who surrendered
ing in the first — and so far to the FBI in the morning,
only — criminal case that had long been expected.
links the Trump election ef- The indictment naming him
fort to the Kremlin. and Gates, who also had
Manafort and Gates, who a role in the campaign,
pleaded not guilty in fed- lays out 12 counts includ-
eral court, are not charged ing conspiracy against the
with any wrongdoing as United States, conspiracy
part of the Trump cam- to launder money, acting
paign, and the president as an unregistered foreign
immediately sought to dis- agent, making false state-
tance himself from the al- ments and several charges
legations. He said on Twit- related to failing to report
ter that the alleged crimes foreign bank and financial
occurred “years ago,” and accounts.
he insisted anew there was The indictment alleges
“NO COLLUSION” between the men moved money
his campaign and Russia. through hidden bank ac-
But potentially more peril- counts in Cyprus, St. Vin-
ous for the president was Rick Gates, right, leaves federal court in Washington, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. Paul Manafort, cent and the Grenadines
the guilty plea by former President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, and Manafort’s business associate Gates and the Seychelles.
pleaded not guilty to felony charges of conspiracy against the United States and other counts.
adviser Papadopoulos, (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) In total, more than $75 mil-
who admitted in newly un- lion flowed through the off-
sealed court papers that prepared to indict for false Mueller’s investigation has “foreign nationals” who he shore accounts, according
he was told in April 2016 statements even if the un- already shadowed the thought had close connec- to the indictment. Manafort
that the Russians had “dirt” derlying conduct he un- administration for months, tions to senior Russian gov- is accused of laundering
on Democratic rival Clinton covers might not necessar- with investigators reach- ernment officials. more than $18 million.
in the form of “thousands of ily be criminal. ing into the White House to Papadopoulos has been Outside the courthouse,
emails,” well before it be- The developments, includ- demand access to docu- cooperating with investi- Manafort attorney Kevin
came public that the Dem- ing the unexpected unseal- ments and interviews with gators, according to the Downing attacked the
ocratic National Commit- ing of a guilty plea, usher key current and former of- court papers. His lawyers charges and said “there
tee and Clinton campaign Mueller’s investigation into ficials. hinted strongly in a state- is no evidence that Mr.
chairman John Podesta’s a new, more serious phase. The Papadopoulos plea ment Monday that their cli- Manafort or the Trump
emails had been hacked. And the revelations in the occurred on Oct. 5 but ent has more testimony to campaign colluded with
Papadopoulos was not guilty plea about an ad- was not unsealed until provide. the Russian government.”
charged with having im- viser’s Russian contacts Monday, creating further There, too, the White House Manafort’s indictment
proper communications could complicate the pres- woes for an administration scrambled to contain the doesn’t reference the
with Russians but rather with ident’s assertions that his that had prepared over potential fallout, with press Trump campaign or make
lying to FBI agents when campaign had never co- the weekend to deflect secretary Sarah Sanders any allegations about co-
asked about the contacts, ordinated with the Russian the Manafort allegations. contending that Papado- ordination between Russia
suggesting that Mueller — government to tip the 2016 In court papers, Papado- poulos’ role in the cam- and campaign aides.q

Trump fumes as Mueller probe enters new phase with charges

By ZEKE MILLER and as another former aide that Manafort had been
JONATHAN LEMIRE was revealed to be coop- a campaign “part-timer”
Associated Press erating with authorities af- who had only helped steer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Spe- ter entering a guilty plea the convention and got
cial counsel Robert Muller’s for lying to the FBI. White too much credit for Trump’s
charges Monday against House officials were pub- ability to hold onto the
former Trump campaign licly optimistic about Muel- nomination, according to
chairman Paul Manafort ler’s investigation wrapping a person familiar with the
and two other aides up swiftly, but the probe is private discussion.
marked a new phase in his far from over and its reach Those describing Trump’s
sprawling investigation into still uncertain. thinking or private discus-
Russia and President Don- Trump has become in- sions were not authorized
ald Trump, underscoring creasingly concerned that to speak publicly about
the ongoing threat Mueller the Mueller probe could them and requested ano-
poses to the president. be moving beyond Rus- President Donald Trump participates in a briefing on hurricane nymity.
Trump immediately sought sia to an investigation into recovery efforts, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017, in Dallas.Trump Trump dismissed the mon-
is unleashing new criticism of the probes into possible ties
to distance himself after his personal dealings, two between his campaign associates and Russia. Trump, in a series ey-laundering charges
Manafort and Rick Gates people familiar with the of tweets, is making reference to what he calls “phony Trump/ against Manafort as typi-
pleaded not guilty to a president’s thinking said. Russia ‘collusion,’ which doesn’t exist.” cal political corruption that
12-count indictment alleg- Trump expressed irritation (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) did not reflect on his cam-
ing money laundering, con- Monday morning that he former aides. dictment, the president paign, one of the persons
spiracy and other offenses was being tarnished by his In the hours after the in- angrily told one confidant said.q