Republican strategist and 2016 Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has announced that he is stepping back from an advisory role to the Republican Party regarding the nominating convention. This move follows media reports questioning his involvement in the convention’s planning process. Manafort had reportedly been in Milwaukee during a convention planning meeting but is now distancing himself following media scrutiny about his work connections to foreign officials and businesses.
In a statement, he noted that his almost 50 years of experience in managing presidential conventions inspired him to volunteer his advice to the Trump campaign. Manafort continued, “Yet it appears that the media is more interested in rehashing old news to potentially damage President Trump and his campaign instead of focusing on current affairs, and I refuse to be their pawn.”
The experienced strategist had been instrumental in discouraging efforts to prevent Trump’s nomination in the 2016 convention. He later faced convictions for financial crimes and ultimately received a presidential pardon from Trump.
