Paul Manafort, the embattled chairman of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, has tendered his resignation on Friday, August 19, 2016.
Manafort has been under public scrutiny in connection with his ties to pro-Russian forces in Ukraine. Reports linking him to former Ukrainian Leader Viktor Yanukovych emerged this week.
“This morning Paul Manafort offered, and I accepted, his resignation from the campaign,” Trump said in a statement.
“I am very appreciative for his great work in helping to get us where we are today, and in particular his work guiding us through the delegate and convention process.
“Paul is a true professional and I wish him the greatest success.”
Earlier this week, Trump brought in Stephen K. Bannon, chairman of the Breitbart News website, as his campaign’s chief executive, ‘demoting’ Manafort.
According to CNBC news, Manafort, 67, joined the campaign in March, and had clashed with campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who was fired three months later.
The shakeup comes less than three months to the election in November.
