Donald Trump’s campaign chairman Paul Manafort denied a New York Times report that political leaders in Ukraine earmarked millions in undisclosed cash for him.
The Times reported that the political party of Ukraine’s pro-Russian former president Viktor Yanukovych set aside $12.7 million in undisclosed payments for the campaign operative. Manafort responded to the report in a statement sent to NBC News on Monday, calling it “unfounded, silly and nonsensical.”
“I have never received a single ‘off-the-books cash payment’ as falsely ‘reported’ by the New York Times nor have I ever done work for the governments of Ukraine or Russia,” Manafort said, adding that any payments he did receive overseas were for his entire political team. “This suggestion that I accepted cash payments is unfounded, silly, and nonsensical.”
The Times report said anti-corruption officials are investigating the earmarked payments, which were recorded on a secret ledger, though they have not determined whether or not Manafort actually received any cash. Manafort said his work in Ukraine ended after the 2014 parliamentary elections.
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The Hillary Clinton campaign has also responded to the report, saying the report raises questions about the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. “Given the pro-Putin policy stances adopted by Donald Trump and the recent Russian government hacking and disclosure of Democratic Party records, Donald Trump has a responsibility to disclose campaign chair Paul Manafort’s and all other campaign employees’ and advisers’ ties to Russia and pro-Kremlin entities,” the statement reads.
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