Special Counsel Robert Mueller filed yet another 5-count indictment against Paul Manafort Friday, accusing the former Trump campaign chairman of "secretly paying former European politicians to lobby on behalf of Ukraine."
The new allegation against Paul Manafort comes in a newly unsealed indictment made public Friday. The indictment followed a guilty plea by Manafort’s longtime business associate, Rick Gates.
The indictment accuses Manafort of paying the former politicians, informally known as the “Hapsburg group,” to appear to be “independent” analysts when in fact they were paid lobbyists. Some of the covert lobbying took place in the U.S.
The indictment says the group was managed by a former European chancellor. Court papers accuse Manafort of using offshore accounts to pay the group more than 2 million euros.
The fresh round of charges against Manafort contains five counts: conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading FARA statements, and false statements.
NBC News' Ken Dilanian identifies whom he believes may be the "former European chancellor" named in the indictment.
The term chancellor is used in only a small number of countries, including Germany and Austria. The Associated Press reported last year that Mercury LLC, which was involved in the Manafort lobbying effort, employed former Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer as an expert. https://t.co/nTQF3jjQaP
— Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) February 23, 2018
Read the Superseding Indictment
The Latest: Mueller files new charge against Paul Manafort (AP)
Grand jury returns new charges against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort (ABC News)