Story highlights Manafort and his lobbying firm have been under FBI and Justice Department scrutiny

The scrutiny relates to a broader anti-corruption probe of the former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych

(CNN) Paul Manafort's lawyers have been in discussions with the Justice Department and he is expected to register as a foreign agent in a bid to resolve questions about his past work for Ukraine, according to sources briefed on the talks.

Manafort and his lobbying firm have been under FBI and Justice Department scrutiny as part of a broader anti-corruption probe of the former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych.

According to Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni, "Since before the 2016 election, Mr. Manafort has been in discussions with federal authorities about the advisability of registering under FARA for some of his past political work. Mr. Manafort received formal guidance recently from the authorities and he is taking appropriate steps in response to the guidance. The work in question was widely known, concluded before Mr. Manafort began working with the Trump campaign and was not conducted on behalf of the Russian government."

Manafort's firm did consulting work for a not-for-profit called European Centre for a Modern Ukraine, which was closely tied to Yankuovych's Party of Regions, sources tell CNN.

Manafort is expected to register with the Justice Department as a foreign agent representing Ukraine's interests between 2012 and 2014, the sources said.

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