Lawyer: Manafort's Ukrainian Op-Ed Does Not Violate US Court Order

Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort did not violate a US court order by editing an opinion-editorial piece published in in the Ukrainian newspaper, the Kyiv Post, Manafort’s defense attorney said in a court document.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Paul Manafort's lawyer urged the court to proceed with Manafort’s modified conditions of release since he has not violated the court order by editing an op-ed in a foreign newspaper and continues to comply with the court requirements.

"There was no violation of the order and no basis for the government’s withdrawal of its consent to the modified bail package," the defense attorney said on Thursday.

Manafort’s intentions were only to ensure accuracy and correct the public record in Ukraine regarding his consulting activities in that country, the defense attorney noted, adding that the article does not "pose a substantial material likelihood of prejudice to this case."

Manafort and his campaign deputy Richard Gates were indicted on 12 counts, including money laundering and failure to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 for their work for the Ukrainian government.

The two men were ordered to remain under house arrest until their next court hearing on December 11.

The indictments were filed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is tasked with investigating allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 US election.

Russia denies accusations that it interfered in the US election, dismissing such claims as groundless.