Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort resigns

From Lalit K Jha Washington, Aug 19 (PTI) Paul Manafort, the beleagueredchairman of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, resignedtoday after a staff shake-up this week that marginalised himin the team amid growing speculation about his links withUkrainian politics. "This morning Paul Manafort offered, and I accepted, hisresignation from the campaign. I am very appreciative for hisgreat work in helping to get us where we are today, and inparticular his work guiding us through the delegate andconvention process," Trump said. "Paul is a true professional and I wish him the greatestsuccess," the 70-year-old business tycoon said. Manafort’s role was reduced after Trump elevated two aidesto senior positions on Tuesday, appointing Breitbart Newschief Steve Bannon as campaign CEO and Kellyanne Conway ascampaign manager. Manafort, who had once lobbied for pro-ISI and anti-Indiagroups, had been recently attracting negative publicity forhis alleged lobbying activities in Ukraine. Manafort had joined the campaign after Trump’s historicwins in the Republican primaries. He successfully led the campaign in the RepublicanNational Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, where Trump wasformally nominated as the party’s presidential nominee. Trump’s popularity rating had been falling down after theconvention. Manafort told Trump he was becoming a distraction and hewanted to end that, a Trump source was quoted as saying byCNN. The resignation comes as the campaign seeks to correctcourse after weeks of damaging controversies and self-inflicted wounds, effectively evaporating Trump’s steadyfooting against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in thepolls and his post-convention bump. Trump is now trailingClinton in every major poll. The most damaging for Trump was his attack on a Gold Starfamily –- who lost their son, Army Captain Humayun Khan, whilehe served in Iraq — for speaking out against him at theDemocratic National Convention. He later refused to apologiseor express regret. Manafort’s personal business dealings have also come underintense scrutiny in recent weeks, amid damaging questions overhis ties to foreign governments and indications that he mighthave received USD 12 million in undisclosed cash payments,according to the Washington Post. The alleged payments, which Manafort denied, were noted ina ledger kept by former Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych’spolitical party. Since then, more evidence has surfaced thatraised concerns about his ties to the Kremlin. One GOP strategist was quoted as saying that Manafort wasundone by the combination of revelations about his work inbehalf of pro-Russian forces in Ukraine and the elevation ofConway and Bannon. PTI LKJ ASK AKJASK