The FBI searched the home of Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman as part of the investigation into Russian meddling in the election, his spokesman said.
ABC News reported the search warrant was executed on Paul Manafort’s Virginia home within the last two weeks and he reportedly had no advance warning.
His spokesman told the broadcaster: “FBI agents executed a search warrant at one of Mr Manafort’s residences. Mr Manafort has consistently cooperated with law enforcement and other serious inquiries and did so on this occasion as well.”
News of the raid comes after special counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading the investigation into Trump aides and campaigners’ ties to Russia during the 2016 election, impaneled a grand jury to assess whether there was the possibility of criminal conduct.
The Washington Post reports that “documents and other materials were seized” during the raid on July 26.
One day before the raid, Manafort met with Senate Intelligence Committee investigators to discuss a meeting between a Russian lawyer and members of Trump’s campaign team that took place during the 2016 presidential election.
Manafort “answered their questions fully,” their spokesman said.
On June 27, Manafort retroactively registered as a foreign agent thanks to $17.1 million his firm was paid from 2012 to 2014 for lobbying work he did on behalf of a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine.
Manafort ran Trump’s campaign in 2016 from March to August, when he resigned after questions were raised about that work.