The New York Times is reporting that the FBI is now investigating property deals worth tens of millions of dollars and shell companies that are linked to Paul Manafort.
F.B.I. Investigating Deals Involving Paul Manafort and Son-in-Law
Federal investigators are examining financial transactions involving Paul Manafort and his son-in-law, who embarked on a series of real estate deals in recent years fueled by millions of dollars from Mr. Manafort, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The son-in-law is Jeffrey Yohai, who is married to Manafort’s daughter—Jessica, not Andrea, the one whose text messages were all over the news after they’d been made public by Ukrainian haxxors. (Those figure in this story, as well: She told a friend that she was sure that Jeffrey were running a ponzi scheme.)
The revelation about investigators’ interest in Mr. Yohai’s activities comes amid indications that the scrutiny of Mr. Manafort has intensified. Besides the F.B.I. and congressional inquiries, the New York State attorney general’s office has opened a preliminary inquiry “focused on certain real estate dealings” involving Mr. Manafort, according to a third person with direct knowledge of the matter.
Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that federal officials had requested his bank records from Citizens Financial Group, and NBC News said a subpoena had been issued for records related to a $3.5 million loan obtained last August by a shell company, Summerbreeze L.L.C., linked to Mr. Manafort. The New York Times first reported on the existence of the loan in April.
That Mr Yohai’s shell companies figure in this is great news because it provides that much more reason for the feds to track down every single shell that Manafort has ever been involved with.
Many of Mr. Manafort’s real estate purchases over the years coincided with his long-running work as a political consultant to the Russia-backed Party of Regions in Ukraine. During his time there, Mr. Manafort used a network of shell companies in the tax havens of Cyprus and Belize to move money around and collect payments from clients, who, in addition to the Ukrainians, included Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch with whom Mr. Manafort partnered in investments.
Back in the United States, Mr. Manafort created still more shell companies to make cash purchases of expensive properties for millions of dollars and other investments. His Los Angeles investments were handled through a limited liability company called Baylor Holding, in which Mr. Manafort and Mr. Yohai were partners, according to court records.
The legal jeopardy keeps piling higher and higher for Mr Manafort. One might be excused for thinking that all this pressure brought to bear upon this one man had some ulterior motive.