NBC News reveals Special Counsel Robert Mueller has launched a criminal investigation into Democratic lobbyist Tony Podesta and his firm, the Podesta Group, after looking more closely at ties to former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort:
Manafort had organized a public relations campaign for a non-profit called the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine (ECMU). Podesta's company was one of many firms that worked on the campaign, which promoted Ukraine's image in the West.
The sources said the investigation into Podesta and his company began as more of a fact-finding mission about the ECMU and Manafort's role in the campaign, but has now morphed into a criminal inquiry into whether the firm violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act, known as FARA.
According to NBC, the Podesta Group did not update its FARA status until after the media reported on the work it did for the ECMU. Podesta Group claims ECMU "had certified that it was neither funded nor directed by a foreign government or political party."
The name Podesta is familiar because John Podesta, Tony's brother, was Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign chairman, and Russian hackers stole and leaked his personal emails during the 2016 campaign. NBC notes, "John Podesta is not currently affiliated with the Podesta Group and is not part of Mueller's investigation."
Read more: Mueller Now Investigating Democratic Lobbyist Tony Podesta (NBC News)