FBI forensic accountant Morgan Manionos revealed email messages showing former Donald Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort directed wire transfers from Cypriot bank accounts as prosecutors tried to link the defendant to Ukrainian clients and money sent to the US for his personal use.
Magionos also walked jurors through charts breaking down the movement of Cyprus money to specific vendors and for use in a series of New York real estate transactions, the Bloomberg financial news agency reporter, showing that between 2010-14, more than $15.6 million was transferred from foreign accounts to Manafort vendors and the purchase of real estate in Virginia and New York, Magionos said.
Magionos said she reviewed documents spanning from the Bank of Cyprus, Hellenic Bank, Royal Bank and HSBC Group accounts in the United Kingdom. Manafort closed his Bank of Cyprus accounts in 2013 and transferred the money directly to accounts at Hellenic Bank on Cyprus, Magionos said.
Jurors had previously heard testimony employees of a Cyprus law firm were listed as directors on accounts that paid for Manafort’s lavish lifestyle. Magionos testified that she reviewed bank records obtained through a treaty request and by issuing subpoenas to Manafort’s company and HSBC.