Emails reveal Manafort and Gates discussed 'press strategy' involving Russia after leaving Trump campaign: report

According to ABC News, indicted former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates exchanged emails with each other outlining a "press strategy" they wanted to follow after Manafort was dismissed from the campaign in 2016.

The emails came to light when special counsel Robert Mueller asked the court to deny Manafort’s request to alter his bail conditions. include correspondence between Manafort and Gates from August 21, 2016, two days after Manafort resigned.

The e-mails, sent between Manafort and Gates in August of 2016, outline "3 main attacks" in the strategy: "1. Cash ledger 2. Fara (redacted) 3. Russia," the report states.

An email, dated September 5, 2016 from Gates to Manafort, included a memo titled "Outline of Issues" that contains a section referencing Manafort's work with Ukraine as well as talking points, including: "1. Never worked in Russia or for Russians," and "2. Work was centered on pro-Ukraine efforts to enter into the EU."

The memo also specified a "need to beat back the idea that this was nefarious work," with an insistence that the work be described as "on behalf of the US government" to "support and promotion of pro-democratic values around the world."

You can read the whole ABC report here.