Paul Manafort reportedly took notes about 'donations' in meeting with Russian lawyer
On Thursday, NBC News revealed some alleged details of the notes that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort took during the June 2016 meeting with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer, arranged by Donald Trump Jr. at Trump Tower. Two people familiar with the evidence claim that Manafort's notes contain the words "donations" and "RNC" (which could stand for either "Republican National Committee" or "Republican National Convention") in "close proximity," NBC News reported.
The complete context of Manafort's notes is unclear, but there are implications to be made. Manafort's spokesperson Jason Maloni wholeheartedly denied that Manafort's notes suggested any discussion of donations to the Republican Party by the Russians took place, and he also noted that Manafort handed his notes over to the Senate Intelligence Committee. "It is 100 percent false to suggest this meeting included any discussion of donations from Russian sources to either the Trump campaign or the Republican Party," Maloni told Talking Points Memo. "This speculation and conjecture is pointless and wrong."
While the meaning of Manafort's notes remains in doubt, it was previously reported by Mother Jones that "the head of the American subsidiary of a Russian conglomerate owned by a Russian oligarch with close ties to President Vladimir Putin" made donations to President Trump — and to the Republican National Committee.
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