Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, paid senior former European politicians, including a former chancellor, more than €2m to act as secret lobbyists on behalf of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, US prosecutors have alleged.
The allegation was contained in a new indictment against Mr Manafort, which was filed on Friday by Robert Mueller, the US special counsel, as part his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election.
It came as Richard Gates, a former top aide to Mr Trump and business associate of Mr Manafort, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and lying to investigators, becoming the third official of the president’s campaign to admit guilt in the probe.