WASHINGTON – When last we saw Paul Manafort, international consigliere and erstwhile chairman of the Donald Trump campaign, he was heading out the door and into radio silence.
His six-month campaign stint ended in August after he lost clout with the boss and following a wave of stories about his lucrative role as a consultant to and lobbyist for a pro-Russia Ukrainian leader.
But Manafort resurfaced on Tuesday to deny to HuffPost that he was under investigation for alleged ties to Russia, its hackers or its president, Vladimir Putin. Or for anything else.
Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, have complained that FBI Director James Comey – so willing to besmirch Hillary Clinton by revealing the bureau’s interest in Huma Abedin’s emails – was unwilling to discuss an FBI investigation into Trump’s ties to Putin. Part of that probe allegedly focused on Manafort’s work in Eastern Europe.
In fact, the FBI has found no direct link between Trump and Russia, at least thus far, according to The New York Times. Comey’s reluctance to discuss the status of such a probe could well be because there’s nothing to reveal.
“There is no story,” Manafort insisted to me. “This is just Harry Reid and Clinton deflection.”
Comey, for his part, has not commented.
NBC News reported Monday that Manafort was the subject of an “inquiry” into his foreign business activities – an assertion that he hotly denies.
“The NBC story is an outrageous smear,” Manafort said to me. “There is nothing of my business activities to investigate. There is no FBI investigation and even NBC admitted that there is no criminal investigation.”
“This is presidential politics and nothing more,” he added.
As Manafort’s own carefully worded denial suggests, there could, at some point, be an inquiry into his work, perhaps into whether he registered as a “foreign agent” for Ukraine in the U.S. or whether he inappropriately funneled money from Ukraine into lobbying efforts.
But those evidently would be topics for another, lower-temperature time.
“There is NO activity,” Manafort said.
In the meantime, his old boss (they evidently haven’t spoken much, if at all, since August) could become president of the United States.
“I think it is now even money” that Trump will win, Manafort said. “It’s moving like Reagan-Carter in 1980.”
HUFFPOST READERS: What’s happening in your state or district? The Huffington Post wants to know about all the campaign ads, mailers, robocalls, candidate appearances and other interesting campaign news happening by you. Email any tips, videos, audio files or photos to scoops@huffingtonpost.com.
Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularly incites political violence and is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims — 1.6 billion members of an entire religion — from entering the U.S.