Another massive bombshell in the investigation into alleged collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russian government operatives investigated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller was released on Tuesday, and it may be the biggest bombshell to date.
Paul Manafort held secret talks with Julian Assange inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, and visited around the time he joined Trump’s campaign, the Guardian has been told. https://t.co/Fc2BVmXipk
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 27, 2018
The Guardian reports that Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, held secret meetings with Wikileaks’ founder Julian Assange on separate occasions at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The final meeting took place between the two at the same time that Manafort began working for the Trump campaign.
‘A well-placed source has told the Guardian that Manafort went to see Assange around March 2016. Months later WikiLeaks released a stash of Democratic emails stolen by Russian intelligence officers.’
An internal document written by Ecuador's Senain intelligence agency and seen by the Guardian lists "Paul Manaford" [sic] as one of several well-known guests. It also mentions "Russians." https://t.co/Fc2BVneTgS
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 27, 2018
In addition to sources that remain anonymous, documentation of Manafort’s visit was shown to The Guardian as proof.
‘A separate internal document written by Ecuador’s Senain intelligence agency and seen by the Guardian lists “Paul Manaford [sic]” as one of several well-known guests. It also mentions “Russians”.
‘According to two sources, Manafort returned to the embassy in 2015. He paid another visit in spring 2016, turning up alone, around the time Trump named him as his convention manager. The visit is tentatively dated to March.’
Bombshell: Manafort Reportedly Held Secret Talks with Julian Assange in Ecuadorian Embassy https://t.co/thAcarERAA pic.twitter.com/eRHo1BUaZP
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) November 27, 2018
Manafort’s meetings with Assange were held in secret because he did not register at the embassy. However, his visits were noted, as were visits during the same time period by unnamed Russians.
‘Embassy staff were aware only later of the potential significance of Manafort’s visit and his political role with Trump, it is understood.
‘The revelation could shed new light on the sequence of events in the run-up to summer 2016, when WikiLeaks published tens of thousands of emails hacked by the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency. Hillary Clinton has said the hack contributed to her defeat.
Assange’s interest in aiding the Trump campaign by coordinating the release of illegally hacked emails is clear. As he awaits possible extradition to the United States on charges of espionage, he saw Trump as a possible way out.
‘One person familiar with WikiLeaks said Assange was motivated to damage the Democrats campaign because he believed a future Trump administration would be less likely to seek his extradition on possible charges of espionage. This fate had hung over Assange since 2010, when he released confidential US state department cables. It contributed to his decision to take refuge in the embassy.’
All of Trump’s claims that there was “no collusion” by his campaign in 2016 just fell apart with this revelation.
