Paul Manafort influenced Trump administration picks after leaving campaign

After leaving the Trump campaign, Paul Manafort returned months later to help shape the incoming Trump Administration, senior Republicans told CNN.

Paul Manafort resigned as chairman of Donald Trump’s campaign about seven months ago. One of the biggest imprints he left on the campaign, was hand-picking Vice President Mike Pence as Mr. Trump’s running mate.

The two men knew each other.

Paul Manafort is a political consultant and Mr. Pence is a former Indiana congressmen. And, of course, both men have ties to the Republican Party.

Multiple news outlets report that Paul Manafort continued to leave his mark months after leaving the campaign.

Paul Manafort

Manafort is a veteran political operative who worked on the nominating conventions for every Republican from Gerald Ford to Bob Dole.

Paul Manafort was initially recruited to save then candidate Donald Trump from delegates going rogue at the Republican convention, should Trump have failed to win enough delegates to win the nomination outright.

After campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was fired in June, Manafort assumed the role.

“Replaced by Bannon and Kellyanne Conway in late August, Manafort retreated from public view, but never fully exited Trump’s orbit,” CNN reported.

Paul Manafort has a home in Trump Tower and still has a direct line to Trump’s top decision-makers including top strategist Steve Bannon, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and White House advisor son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to a CNN report.

A source, who was considered for a cabinet position, confirmed Manafort’s role continued role even after he left the campaign.

“Bannon, Reince, Pence and Jared are in the meetings,” the source told CNN. “Manafort and others offer opinions.”

“I think he’s weighing in on everything,” a former official told The Daily Beast, “I think he still talks to Trump every day. I mean, Pence? That was all Manafort. Pence is on the phone with Manafort regularly.”