Russia investigation: Tony Podesta resigns lobbyist role as Robert Mueller charges loom
Democratic power lobbyist Tony Podesta, founder of the Podesta Group, is stepping down from the firm that bears his name after coming under investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller. This move comes after Hillary Clinton met with Podesta during this weekend’s party.
Podesta announced his decision during a firm-wide meeting Monday morning and is alerting clients of his impending departure.
Podesta also told staff he “doesn’t intend to go quietly, or learn how to play golf.” He said he “needs to fight this as an individual, but doesn’t want the firm to fight it.”
photo donkeyhotey [email protected]
Trump campaign aides Paul Manafort and Rick Gates were indicted on multiple charges, including money laundering, operating as federal agents of the Ukrainian government, failing to disclose overseas bank accounts and making false statements to federal authorities. Trump campaign foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty earlier this month for lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials, according to court records.
Podesta Group filed paperwork with the Justice Department in April stating that it had done work for the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine that also benefited the same Ukrainian political party that Manafort once advised.
Podesta Group said at the time it believed its client was a European think tank, allegedly not linked to a political party.
Manafort hired the Podesta Group and Mercury LLC to do public relations and lobbying work aimed at shielding Yanukovych from international condemnation for actions such as jailing political rivals.
A week ago, NBC New York reported that the Podesta Group had become a focus of Mueller’s investigation: “The probe of Podesta and his Democratic-leaning lobbying firm grew out of Mueller’s inquiry into the finances of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, according to the sources. As special counsel, Mueller has been tasked with investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.”
Hot Air concluded their coverage, asking: “…this raises very interesting questions for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Tony Podesta has run the Podesta Group for the most part since founding it with his brother John, but John ran the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2015-16 and served as Obama’s chief of staff between January 2014 and February 2015. Just how far did Manafort’s lobbying reach, and who exactly acted as its conduits?”
