UH OH: Mueller investigating possible sweetheart deal between Manafort and Chicago banker…

by The Right Scoop

Mueller is now investigating Paul Manafort for possible promising a White House job to a Chicago banker in return for millions for home loans:

NBC NEWS – Federal investigators are probing whether former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort promised a Chicago banker a job in the Trump White House in return for $16 million in home loans, two people with direct knowledge of the matter told NBC News.

Manafort received three separate loans in December 2016 and January 2017 from Federal Savings Bank for homes in New York City and the Hamptons.

The banker, Stephen Calk, president of the Federal Savings Bank, was announced as a member of candidate Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers in August 2016.

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team is now investigating whether there was a quid pro quo agreement between Manafort and Calk. Manafort left the Trump campaign in August 2016 after the millions he had earned working for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine drew media scrutiny. Calk did not receive a job in President Donald Trump’s cabinet.

The sources say the three loans were questioned by other officials at the bank, and one source said that at least one of the bank employees who felt pressured into approving the deals is cooperating with investigators.

In court filings Friday related to Manafort’s bail, federal prosecutors said they have “substantial evidence” that loans made from the bank to Manafort were secured through false representations made by Manafort, including misstatements of income.

When asked by NBC News if Manafort had lobbied the Trump transition team or the White House for a position for Calk, the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Wow. This won’t be good for Manafort if they can prove he dangled this job for millions in loans. After all, this is bigger than selling access to government officials. He’s accused of potentially selling a job in the White House using a presidential campaign as leverage. That’s as bad, if not worse than Hillary Clinton using her Clinton Foundation to sell access and other government policies.

In related news, Mueller is going to question former Trump aide Sam Nunberg this week:




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