Why Was Paul Manafort Indicted? The Trump Russia Investigation Got To The Former Campaign Manager

On the morning of Monday, Oct. 30, Donald Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was indicted as part of the special counsel investigation into possible collusion between the Donald Trump campaign and Russia in an effort to influence the 2016 presidential election. Manafort surrendered to the FBI after word got out that he was the target of the first charges filed in the agency's investigation into Russian meddling during the 2016 election. Also charged was Manafort's business associate Rick Gates.

Per the New York Times, Manafort was spotted surrendering to the FBI around 8:15 a.m. ET. Just after 9 a.m., ABC tweeted that Manafort and Gates were facing 12 charges. The official Justice Department documents have been released, showing that among the charges are counts of conspiracy against the U.S. and money laundering.

In the 12 counts against them, Manafort and Gates, respectively, are charged with 4 and 3 counts of failure to file reports of foreign banks and financial accounts. The two men also face charges of false and misleading statements.

Just before 9 a.m., BuzzFeed reported that companies linked to Manafort made 13 suspicious wire transfers between 2012 and 2013, making them one focus of the FBI's investigation. The wire transfers reportedly moved about $3 million around the globe.

Manafort has been the subject of interest for the FBI since 2012, according to BuzzFeed, to probe for his possible involvement with Ukrainian and Russian officials.

Included in the report, as one user on Twitter pointed out, suggests that Manafort used a $2.8 million Manhattan property as an AirBnb rental from January 2015 through 2016. (Who else is dying to know what that stay was like?)

Manafort took over the reins as Campaign Chairman for Donald Trump in May 2016.

People on Twitter are having a field day with the news.

More to come.

Credit: Elite Daily