NEW YORK — Hillary Clinton’s campaign is questioning Donald Trump’s top political aide’s ties to a pro-Kremlin political party in the Ukraine and claiming it is further evidence of the Republican nominee’s cozy relationship with Russia.
The New York Times reported that handwritten ledgers found in the Ukraine show $12.7 million in undisclosed payments to Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign manager, from the pro-Russia party founded by the country’s former president Viktor Yanukovych. Investigators are probing whether the money was part of an illegal off-the-book system that may have also made payments to election officials, according to the Times in a story published Sunday night.
“Given the pro-Putin policy stances adopted by Donald Trump and the recent Russian government hacking and disclosure of Democratic Party records,” Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said in statement, “Donald Trump has a responsibility to disclose campaign chair Paul Manafort’s and all other campaign employees’ and advisers’ ties to Russian or pro-Kremlin entities, including whether any of Trump’s employees or advisers are currently representing and or being paid by them.”
Manafort, who has had several international clients including Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, denied any wrongdoing.
