Veteran GOP strategist Paul Manafort has been charged with running Donald Trump’s upcoming campaign office in Washington, D.C., the billionaire’s campaign manager confirmed to the Washington Examiner on Thursday.
Manafort was hired by the Trump campaign last week to manage the GOP front-runner’s behind-the-scenes battle for delegates and assist his congressional relations committee with its goal of establishing connections on Capitol Hill.
The 66-year-old Washington insider boasts a lengthy résumé of courting delegates for previous White House hopefuls. He managed the floor for Gerald Ford at the 1976 Republican national convention and has previously served as an advisor to former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
“The nomination process has reached a point that requires someone familiar with the complexities involved in the final stages,” Trump said in a statement Thursday afternoon. “I am organizing these responsibilities under someone who has done this job successfully in many campaigns.”
“Paul is a well-respected expert in this regard and we are pleased to have him join the efforts to Make America Great Again,” he added.
Manafort’s hiring by the Trump campaign comes as the leading Republican hopeful scrambles to assemble a team whose main goal will be to get him to 1,237 delegates, the amount needed to secure the GOP nomination, or to ensure Trump doesn’t lose a singificant amount of delegates on a second ballot in the event of a contested convention.
The Trump campaign plans to debut its new Washington office next week, although a location has yet to be announced.
Manafort indicated he would be working closely with Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and his deputy campaign manager Micharl Glassner to secure pro-Trump delegates as the convention draws nearer.
“Securing the Republican nomination is an intricate series of steps that requires a comprehensive strategy,” he said in a statement released by the Trump campaign. “As part of the campaign team, my job is to secure and protect Mr. Trump’s nomination and that is what we will do.”
Barry Bennett, Trump’s senior adviser, told the Associated Press last week that the campaign’s decision to open a new office, in addition to his headquarters in New York, is “an acknowledgment that [Trump is]… the presumptive nominee.” Bennett also said having an office on or near Capitol Hill will provide staffers with ample opportunities to foster a relationship with lawmakers.
“Having an office here in Washington and working with them every day will make it a lot easier to do that,” he said.
