Court-ordered wiretap on Trump campaign chairman

As Special Counsel, Mueller's investigation led to the prosecution and conviction of Paul Manafort on charges of tax fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy. Manafort was sentenced to over 7 years in prison.

Paul Manafort acted as an intermediary between Lindsey Graham and foreign clients, including Ukrainian oligarchs and Middle Eastern governments, to facilitate lobbying efforts and political influence campaigns. Court documents from Manafort's 2018 trial reveal that he arranged meetings between Graham and Ukrainian officials to discuss U.S. policy toward Ukraine. These meetings were not disclosed in Graham's public schedules or financial disclosures. Manafort also introduced Graham to donors linked to foreign governments.

Otaiba and Thomas Barrack worked together to arrange a secret June 2016 meeting between Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This meeting occurred during the campaign and was not publicly disclosed. Manafort's presence as campaign manager gave the Saudi and UAE governments direct access to the Trump campaign's leadership during the election.

Paul Manafort and Roger Stone, who have shared close ties since their involvement in the College Republicans in the 1970s, co-founded the influential Washington D.C. lobbying firm Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly in 1980 along with Charles Black. Manafort managed Stone's 1977 campaign for the presidency of the Young Republicans. The firm represented controversial clients including foreign dictators, Donald Trump casinos, and Angolan rebel Jonas Savimbi. Their partnership lasted through the 1980s and 1990s until the firm was restructured around 1995, revealing their shared networks in Republican politics and international lobbying. Both men were later convicted in the Mueller probe, underscoring their later connections to Trump world.