WEBVTT

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   ABOUT HIS BUSINESS           
   DEALINGS IN A SMALL          
   ISLAND NATION THAT HAS       

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   U.S. AUTHORITIES             
   ASKING QUESTIONS.            
   >> Reporter: HE'S A          

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   CENTRAL FIGURE IN            
   PRESIDENT TRUMP'S            
                                

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   CAMPAIGN.                    
   >> PAUL MANAFORT.            
   >> Reporter: LONG            

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   BEFORE HE WAS TRUMP'S        
   CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN,           
   PAUL MANAFORT WAS PAID       

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   MILLIONS BY A RUSSIAN        
   BILLIONAIRE WITH CLOSE       
   TIES TO VLADAMIR             

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   PUTIN, ACCORDING TO          
   ONE REPORT PROMISING         
   TO GREATLY BENEFIT THE       

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   PUTIN GOVERNMENT BY          
   INFLUENING POLITICS          
   AND MEDIA COVERAGE.          

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   NBC NEWS LEARNED U.S.        
   TREASURY OFFICIALS ARE       
   FOLLOWING THE MONEY          

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   TRAIL MANAFORT LEFT          
   BEHIND.                      
   IT LED THEM AND US TO        

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   A SMALL ISLAND IN THE        
   MEDITERRANEAN.               
   TO FIND OUT MORE WE          

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   CAME HERE TO CYPRUS          
   WHICH HAS A REPUTATION       
   FOR ITS BEACHES AND          

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   HUB FOR MONEY                
   LAUNDERING.                  
   THIS CITY HAS                

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   ATTRACTED SO MANY            
                                
   RUSSIANS, IT'S BEEN          

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   DUBBED A NICKNAME.           
   THIS IS THE MONEY            
   MANAFORT GOT FROM THE        

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   RUSSIAN TYCOON WENT          
   AND RUSSIAN SOURCES          
   TELL NBC NEWS 15             

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   ACCOUNTS WERE OPEN           
   HERE FOR MORE THAN 15        
   COMPANIES ALL LINK           

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   TODMAN FORT.                 
   IN ONE CASE A MILLION        
   DOLLARS LANDED IN ONE        

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   OF THESE ACCOUNTS AND        
   LEFT IT ON THE SAME          
   DAY.                         

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   >> MOVEMENTS, LARGE          
   AMOUNTS OF MONEY VERY        
   QUICKLY IN AND OUT OF        

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   ACCOUNTS IS VERY             
   SIMILAR TO WHAT MONEY        
                                

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   LAUNDERERS DO.               
   >> Reporter: THERE WAS       
   A LOT OF MONEY               

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   INVOLVED, INCLUDING          
   $18.9 MILLION TO BUY A       
   UKRAINIAN MEDIA              

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   COMPANY FOR OLEG.            
   ACCORDING TO                 
   WIKILEAKS, STATE             

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   DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS         
   DESCRIBED AS ONE OF          
   TWO OR THREE                 

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   OLIGARCHES PUTIN TURNS       
   TO ON A REGULAR BASIS.       
   SOME OF THAT MONEY           

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   WENT TO A MANAFORT           
   LINKED COMPANY IN            
   CYPRESS.                     

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   TODAY, DERIPASKA TOOK        
   OUT AN AD IN NAULGS          
   NEWSPAPERS DENYING HE        

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   HELPED MANAFORT WITH         
   THE GOVERNMENT.              
   CALLING IT FAKE NEWS.        

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   IN CYPRUS, MANAFORT'S        
   ACCOUNTS RAISED              
                                

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   SUSPICIONS.                  
   IN 2012, THE INTERNAL        
   AUDITING SYSTEM AT           

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   THIS BANK FLAGGED            
   ACCOUNTS FOR POSSIBLE        
   MONEY LAUNDERING             

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   ACCORDING TO BANKING         
   SOURCES WHO ALSO SAID        
   WHEN THE BANK ASKED          

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   FOR MORE INFORMATION,        
   MANAFORT CHOSE TO            
   CLOSE THE ACCOUNTS           

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   WITHOUT ANSWERING THE        
   QUESTIONS.                   
   LATE TODAY A SPOKESMAN       

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   FOR PAUL MANAFORT SENT       
   US A STATEMENT SAYING        
   ALL MANAFORT'S               

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   COMPANIES WERE               
   LEGITIMATE ENTITIES          
   ESTABLISH FOR LAWFUL         

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   ENDS ADDING HE HAS NO        
   SPECIFIC PERSONAL            
   RECOLLECTION OF THE          

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   SHUTDOWN OF HIS CYPRUS       
   ACCOUNTS WHICH TOOK          
   PLACE DURING A BANKING       

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   CRISIS ON THE ISLAND.