Evidence from notes taken off of Paul Manafort’s cell from the infamous meetings with Russians at Trump Tower has RNC written near the word donations.
Paul Manafort’s notes from a controversial Trump Tower meeting with Russians during the 2016 presidential campaign included the word “donations,” near a reference to the Republican National Committee, two sources briefed on the evidence told NBC News.
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Manafort’s notes, typed on a smart phone and described by one briefed source as cryptic, were turned over to the House and Senate intelligence committees and to Special Counsel Robert Mueller. They contained the words “donations,” and “RNC” in close proximity, the sources said.
If the Republican Party did accept donations from a foreign individual, those donations would be illegal. The bigger picture is that the Russia scandal could be much larger than the Trump campaign. The RNC, and by extension, the Republican Party could have colluded with or taken money from the Russians. The Russians being involved with the Republican Party would explain why party leadership has not condemned Trump for his refusal to stand up to Russia. It would also explain why Mitch McConnell wouldn’t issue a joint statement with President Obama during the 2016 campaign.
Republicans in Congress can’t be trusted to investigate the Russia scandal if the RNC took any donations from Russians. Should this turn out to be true, an independent investigation will be needed immediately into the Russia scandal. Reince Priebus and his RNC allies getting high profile White House jobs make a lot more sense now.
The Russia scandal is more than Trump. The Russians may have bought themselves a US political party.
Trump may only be the beginning of a scandal that swallows the Republican Party.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
