Among other issues, they asked about a Mediterranean cruise that Mr. Barrack and Mr. Manafort took after Mr. Manafort was fired in August 2016 from the Trump campaign because of a scandal over his previous work for pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine. Mr. Manafort was in serious financial trouble at the time, and Mr. Barrack, who has an extensive business network in the Persian Gulf, may have been attempting to help him find clients. Until 2013, Mr. Al Thani presided over the country’s $230 billion sovereign wealth fund. After Mr. Trump was elected, any troubles he had finding donors appeared to have vanished. Mr. Barrack was its chairman, and Rick Gates, a longtime business associate of Mr. Manafort’s who served as deputy campaign chairman, ran it.

Source: New York Times December 14, 2018 03:54 UTC