





Special Counsel Robert Mueller has issued grand jury subpoenas to six public relations firms seeking testimony from the PR executives who worked on an international campaign organized by former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, people directly familiar with the matter told NBC News.

The move is the first public indication that Mueller’s investigation is beginning to compel testimony from witnesses and suggests that Manafort may be in serious legal jeopardy.

One of the executives whose firm received a subpoena confirmed to NBC News that the six firms in question participated in a public relations effort headed by Manafort whose ostensible mission was building support for Ukraine’s entry into the European Union.

“We think they are trying to figure out, was this a legitimate project?” the executive said. “From our perspective it was — we did a lot of work. We took it seriously.”







NBC News adds:

Manafort, whose Alexandria, Virginia, apartment was raided by FBI agents last month, has emerged as a key figure in the Mueller probe. The inquiry into the lobbying campaign appears to be part of a larger investigation into his work for a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party, his offshore banking transactions, his tax compliance and his real estate dealings, people familiar with the probe have told NBC News.

Manafort also was present at a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lobbyist and a Russian lawyer, along with Donald Trump Jr. and Kushner. NBC News has previously reported that Kushner is under scrutiny by investigators, and that Mueller is examining whether President Trump obstructed justice.

The executive said six firms participated in the public relations effort that Manafort coordinated, paid for by a Brussels-based non-profit called the European Center for a Modern Ukraine. The stated goal was to build support for Ukraine’s entry into the European Union.

Read NBC News’ full report here.