Paul Manafort, former campaign manager for President Trump, denied having any contact with Russians involved the cyberattacks against Democrats, after his name was raised Monday in connection with unsubstantiated allegations of the Trump campaign’s collusion with Russians.
“I had no role or involvement in the cyberattack on the DNC or the subsequent release of information gained from the attack, and I have never spoken with any Russian Government officials or anyone who claimed to have been involved in the attack,” Manafort said in a statement.
Democrats questioned FBI Director James Comey about evidence that Trump associates — including Roger Stone and Carter Page — had spoken with Russian officials at the same time Kremlin-backed actors stole and released Democratic emails.
While Comey confirmed the existence of an investigation into allegations that those contacts may have yielded cooperation on the campaign-era cyberattacks, he would not discuss the status of the investigation or which former campaign aides had fallen under scrutiny.
“The suggestion that I ever worked in concert with anyone to release hacked emails or sought to undermine the interests of the United States is false,” Manafort said. “Despite the constant scrutiny and innuendo, there are no facts or evidence supporting these allegations, nor will there be.”
Manafort left Trump’s campaign in August 2016 after a rocky period following the Republican convention.
On Monday, he defended Trump against politically-motivated attacks on Trump’s legitimacy. Several Democrats, including Rep. John Lewis, have argued that Trump’s presidency is not legitimate due to Russian interference in the presidential race.
“I am disappointed that anyone would give credence to allegations made by individuals with clear political motives in a blatant attempt to discredit me and the legitimacy of the election of President Trump,” Manafort said.
