Paul J. Manafort
Encyclopedia
Paul J. Manafort is an American lobbyist and political consultant. A former adviser to the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush
, Bob Dole
, George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan
, and Gerald Ford
, he is a senior partner in the firm Davis, Manafort and Freedman.
(B.S., B.A., 1971) and Georgetown University Law School (J.D., 1974).
In 1977–1980 he was an attorney with the firm of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease
in Washington, D.C.
In 1976 he served as a delegate-hunt coordinator for eight States for the President Ford Committee. In 1978–1980 Manafort was southern coordinator for Ronald Reagan
's presidential campaign, and deputy political director, Republican National Committee
. After Reagan's election he was appointed Associate Director of the Presidential Personnel Office at the White House, ad in 1981 he was nominated to the Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation
.
He was a director of Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions (1985).
He joined the presidential campaign of John McCain
as an advisor in 2008.
. In 1996 he left BMSK to join Richard H. Davis in forming Davis, Manafort.
He also worked in Ukraine
on the presidential campaign of Viktor Yanukovych
even as the U.S. government (and McCain) opposed him because of his ties to Russia's Vladimir Putin
. He was sacked in 2005 after Yanukovych's electoral defeat which was marred by massive corruption, voter intimidation and direct electoral fraud
. The party fell to third place in party rankings following the 2004 election after results were overturned through the Orange Revolution
. According to a 2008 U.S. Justice Department annual report, Manafort’s company received $63,750 from Yanukovych's Party of Regions
over a six-month period ending on March 31, 2008, for consulting services.
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, Bob Dole
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
, George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, and Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
, he is a senior partner in the firm Davis, Manafort and Freedman.
Career synopsis
Manafort was born in New Britain, Connecticut on April 1, 1949. He graduated from Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
(B.S., B.A., 1971) and Georgetown University Law School (J.D., 1974).
In 1977–1980 he was an attorney with the firm of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease
Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease
Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP is a large U.S. law firm and lobbying group based in Columbus, Ohio. It is the largest law firm based in Columbus and the fifth largest in the State of Ohio. In 2008, the National Law Journal ranked the firm the 121st largest in the United States...
in Washington, D.C.
In 1976 he served as a delegate-hunt coordinator for eight States for the President Ford Committee. In 1978–1980 Manafort was southern coordinator for Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's presidential campaign, and deputy political director, Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
. After Reagan's election he was appointed Associate Director of the Presidential Personnel Office at the White House, ad in 1981 he was nominated to the Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation is an independent agency of the United States Government that mobilizes U.S. private sector investment in new and emerging markets overseas in order to support both the sustainable economic development of those markets and the creation of American jobs...
.
He was a director of Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions (1985).
He joined the presidential campaign of John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
as an advisor in 2008.
Lobbying career
Manafort was founding partner of Washington, DC-based lobbying powerhouse Black, Manafort, Stone and KellyBlack, Manafort, Stone and Kelly
Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly was a lobbying firm based in Washington, D.C.. Formed in 1982, it merged with Gold & Liebengood to form BKSH & Associates in 1996.- History :...
. In 1996 he left BMSK to join Richard H. Davis in forming Davis, Manafort.
He also worked in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
on the presidential campaign of Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
even as the U.S. government (and McCain) opposed him because of his ties to Russia's Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
. He was sacked in 2005 after Yanukovych's electoral defeat which was marred by massive corruption, voter intimidation and direct electoral fraud
Electoral fraud
Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. Acts of fraud affect vote counts to bring about an election result, whether by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates or both...
. The party fell to third place in party rankings following the 2004 election after results were overturned through the Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
. According to a 2008 U.S. Justice Department annual report, Manafort’s company received $63,750 from Yanukovych's Party of Regions
Party of Regions
The Party of Regions is an Ukrainian political party created on October 26, 1997 just prior to the 1998 Ukrainian parliamentary elections under the name of Party of Regional Revival of Ukraine. It was reformed later in 2001 when the party united with several others...
over a six-month period ending on March 31, 2008, for consulting services.
HUD influence peddling scandal
Manafort would come under fire for using his connections at HUD to ensure funding for an unwanted $43 million rehabilitation of dilapidated housing in Seabrook, N.J. As a partner in the development firm involved on the project, but he also received $326,000 in fees for his trouble.External links
- Manafort Paul J Jr at NameBaseNameBaseNameBase is a web-based cross-indexed database of names that focuses on individuals involved in the international intelligence community, U.S. foreign policy, crime, and business...
- Paul J Manfort at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
- The Buying of the President 2008: Paul Manafort