Paul Manafort, the one-time chairman for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, said in an email exchanged with a former employee that he was willing to meet with a Russian billionaire to give him “private briefings,” according to a story from The Associated Press.
Manafort offered to meet with Oleg Deripaska, a close friend and financial backer of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The offer was made in July 2016 while Manafort was Trump’s campaign chair.
According to a spokesman for Manafort, no briefings ever occurred.
Who is Deripaska and what is his connection to Manafort? Here are some quick facts about Deripaska.
- Deripaska is one of Russia's wealthiest men. He heads Basic Element, an aluminum firm. His net worth is estimated at $6.6 billion.
- He is a friend of Putin. He has worked with Putin on many projects, the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics is one.
- Manafort did investment consulting work for Deripaska. Three years ago, Deripaska accused Manafort of failing to account for or return $19 million he paid him to invest, according to The Washington Post.
- In 2008, Deripaska met with Sen. John McCain. McCain was running for president at the time. The meeting was arranged by Manafort's business partner, Rick Davis, according to the Washington Post.
- The Wall Street Journal reported that he may have ties to organized crime in Russia, making it difficult for him to travel in the United States.
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