Paul Manafort, the former chairman of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, has withdrawn from his unpaid advisory role for the 2024 Republican National Convention, as reported by the New York Times.
Initial reports in March suggested that the Republican Party intended to enlist Manafort as an adviser for its upcoming presidential nominating convention. However, this decision has faced serious scrutiny since then, especially considering Manafort’s past legal troubles.
The Washington Post recently revealed that Manafort has resumed his international consulting work, a move that raises questions given his 2018 conviction on multiple charges related to similar activities.
In a statement released by the Trump 2024 campaign, Manafort, a seasoned Republican campaign strategist, clarified that he had been providing voluntary advice and recommendations to the former president regarding the July convention.
However, he expressed frustration with the media’s portrayal of his involvement, labeling it as a distraction aimed at tarnishing Trump and his campaign with recycled news.
Manafort, aged 75, rose to prominence as Trump’s campaign manager during the summer of 2016. However, he was replaced by Kellyanne Conway despite allegations of ties to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, a pro-Russian figure deposed during the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution.
Manafort’s legal troubles escalated with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Trump and his associates, resulting in indictments on charges of tax and bank fraud and, later, obstruction of justice. He was sentenced to 73 months in prison.
During the final days of his presidency, Trump granted Manafort a pardon, citing what he deemed as “blatant prosecutorial overreach.” The Trump administration framed Manafort as a victim of what it described as “the greatest witch hunt in American history.”
