Former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort belatedly registers as foreign agent

Kevin Johnson | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Paul Manafort registered as a foreign agent ... 5 years late Manafort and his consulting firm made over $17 million for work it did for a pro-Russian political party in the Ukraine. Video provided by Newsy

WASHINGTON – Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort belatedly registered as a foreign agent for a pro-Russia group in Ukraine, disclosing that his firm was paid slightly more than $17 million over two years, according to documents filed with the Justice Department.

Manafort, whose work in the Ukraine has drawn the scrutiny of federal investigators and Russia special counsel Robert Mueller, disclosed his work on behalf of the Ukrainian Party of Regions between 2012 and 2014.

The group is tied to ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukouych, an ally of the Kremlin.

U.S. citizens engaged in work for other governments are required to formally register their activities with the Justice Department. The law requires that citizens must be registered within ten days of agreeing to become agents and before performing any activities for the foreign client.

Former Trump campaign manager to be questioned President Donald Trump's former campaign manager, a key figure in investigations about alleged campaign ties to Russia, has volunteered to be questioned by the House intelligence committee as part of its probe of the Kremlin's meddling in the 2016 election. (March 24)

Even though the documents Manafort filed late Tuesday cover payments to Manafort's company, DMP International, for a two-year period starting in 2012, prior to Manafort's work for President Trump's campaign, violations of the law are rarely prosecuted.

Manafort was ousted as Trump's campaign chairman in August 2016 following the Republican National Convention, amid questions about his work in the Ukraine.

As a special counsel and multiple congressional committees investigate links between Trump campaign associates and Russians who sought to influence the presidential election by hacking Democrats, Manafort is the second former Trump associate to retroactively register as a foreign agent.

Earlier this year, Michael Flynn, former national security adviser, registered as an agent for a company doing work for the Turkish government.

Flynn was dismissed by Trump after misleading Vice President Pence about his pre-inaugural contacts with Russia ambassador Sergey Kislyak.