Paul Manafort is resigning from his position as chairman of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, after a series of news reports shed light on his ties to a pro-Russian governing party in Ukraine.
Robert Costa, a reporter for the Washington Post, first reported the news on social media, citing a close associate of Manafort.
"This morning Paul Manafort offered, and I accepted, his resignation from the campaign. I am very appreciative for his great work in helping to get us where we are today, and in particular his work guiding us through the delegate and convention process. Paul is a true professional and I wish him the greatest success," Trump said in a statement published by Politico.
Manafort has recently come under increased scrutiny for his business dealings with pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians and oligarchs.
On Sunday, the New York Times reported that $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments had been designated for Manafort between 2007 and 2012 from the pro-Russian political party of former Ukrainian president Viktor F. Yanukovych, for which Manafort did consulting. Additional reporting from the Associated Press indicated that Manafort had helped the pro-Russian party covertly rout $2.2 million to Washington lobbying firms in 2012.
News of Manafort’s resignation comes days after the Trump campaign underwent a major staffing shakeup. On Wednesday, the campaign announced that Trump had tapped Steve Bannon, the executive chair of the conservative Breitbart News, as chief executive of his campaign and promoted top adviser and pollster Kellyanne Conway to campaign manager. The staffing change was generally viewed as a demotion for Manafort.
SCOOP: A close friend of Manafort tells me he has resigned
— Robert Costa (@costareports) August 19, 2016
The close associate of Manafort's tells me that he is leaving on good terms and wanted to give new team space to build their strategy....
— Robert Costa (@costareports) August 19, 2016
Trump campaign advisers are unavailable for comment but an announcement later Friday is likely.
— Robert Costa (@costareports) August 19, 2016
This post will be updated as further information becomes available.