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Mueller investigating whether Manafort dangled White House job to get loans

BY AVERY ANAPOL - 02/21/18 12:35 PM EST
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/374869-mueller-investigating-whether-manafort-promised-banker-a-trump

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team is reportedly investigating whether former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort promised a White House job to a banker in exchange for home loans.

Two sources close to the situation told NBC news that investigators are looking into whether Manafort made the offer to Chicago banker Stephen Calk, the president of a bank from which Manafort received a total of $16 million in home loans last winter.

Calk served as a member of then-candidate Trump’s council of economic advisers, but was not offered a job in the administration.

The report comes days after Mueller informed a court of new criminal accusations against Manafort, including bank fraud and bank fraud conspiracies.

In the new court filings, which came in response to a request from Manafort to reconsider the conditions of his bail, prosecutors alleged that the three loans were secured through false representations made by Manafort, according to NBC. Mueller rejected Manafort’s proposed bail package in light of the additional criminal accusations.

At least one employee of the Federal Savings Bank said they felt “pressured” into approving the loans for Manafort, and other officials questioned the process, according to NBC’s sources.

Mueller indicted Manafort and his business associate, Richard Gates, late last year. The indictment contained a total of 12 criminal counts, including money laundering and conspiracy against the United States.

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http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/374869-mueller-investigating-whether-manafort-promised-banker-a-trump