Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and his longtime associate Rick Gates were told to “surrender to law enforcement” today according to NBC News. <br /><br />These are the first charges filed in the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in last year’s US presidential election.<br /><br />American intelligence agencies say Moscow tried to help President Donald Trump defeat Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in November 2016.<br /><br />Special counsel Robert Mueller is probing whether Trump campaign officials colluded with the alleged Russian interference.<br /><br />Moscow stands accused of a campaign of hacking and releasing embarrassing emails, and disseminating propaganda via social media to discredit the Clinton campaign.<br /><br />Both the US President and the Russian leadership deny the allegations.<br /><br />It is now commonly agreed, after many months of COSTLY looking, that there was NO collusion between Russia and Trump. Was collusion with HC!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 27 octobre 2017<br /><br />The special counsel’s investigation also includes an effort to determine whether the president or any of his aides tried to obstruct justice.<br /><br />Grand jury approves charges in Mueller’s Russia probe, report says https://t.co/pqAOhrE2RE pic.twitter.com/pIN1zGjYYv— NBC News (@NBCNews) 28 octobre 2017<br /><br />Mueller was appointed by the Justice Department to lead the probe, a week after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, who was leading a federal investigation into possible collusion with Russia.<br /><br />Trump initially said he fired Comey because his leadership of the FBI was inadequate and hurt morale, but in a later interview with NBC he cited “this Russia thing” as his reason.<br /><br />with Reuters<br />
