Cambridge Analytica linked to Blackwater's Erik Prince -- who allegedly sought back channel for Trump and Putin

President Donald Trump's former digital operation Cambridge Analytica reportedly has links to Erik Prince, the founder of former mercenary firm Blackwater. Prince's sister, Betsy DeVos, serves as education secretary for President Donald Trump.

The Associated Press reported on Monday that company filings show that Cambridge Analytica has ties to "a Chinese security and logistics company run by Erik Prince."

The AP also found that suspended Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix is director of a company called Emerdata Ltd. The company was incorporated in 2017.

According to the wire service, Johnson Ko Chun Shun is a director of Emerdata and sits on the board of Frontier Services Group, which is chaired by Prince.

While working with Trump's transition team, Prince was accused of trying to set up back-channel communications between the then-president-elect and Russian President Vladimir Putin.