Trump Emphasizes Again That There Was No 'Collusion' Between Russia and His Campaign

U.S. President Donald Trump, in response to allegations against his former campaign manager, stated that the accusations occurred years before Paul Manafort joined his campaign and that there was 'no collusion' between the Trump campaign and Russia. On Monday, Paul Manafort, the former campaign manager, and Rick Gates, a senior official from the campaign, faced charges from Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections. It was reported early Monday morning, Washington time, that both individuals had surrendered to the FBI. According to news agencies, Manafort is charged with 'conspiracy against the United States, tax fraud, and money laundering, as well as unregistered activity for foreign governments.' In his initial reaction to the matter, Trump tweeted that the charges 'happened years ago and before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign.' The U.S. President further questioned why 'the focus is not on the corrupt Hillary and the Democrats.' He emphasized, 'Moreover, there is no collusion [between the Trump campaign and Russia].' The charges against Manafort and Gates are the first consequences of the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in last year's presidential election. It has also been reported that Mueller is examining the potential obstruction of justice by the President in connection with the firing of the former FBI director. According to the Associated Press, Manafort and Gates could face several decades in prison and millions of dollars in fines. For Manafort, the Associated Press noted that based on the charges and relevant regulations, he could face up to 80 years in prison. The AP also considered a potential 70-year prison sentence for Gates. Additionally, it was announced on Monday that another aide from Trump's campaign has been charged for providing false information to the FBI regarding his efforts to arrange a meeting between Russian government officials and Donald Trump's campaign. George Papadopoulos was charged earlier in October for lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian nationals while working with the Trump campaign.