Manafort asks Gates for favors for bank CEO who wanted to be Army secretary
The prosecution also questioned Gates about the Trump campaign. Both Gates and Manafort worked for the Trump campaign in March 2016, Gates said. Manafort was first hired by the Trump campaign to be a convention manager before he was promoted to chairman.
After Manafort left the campaign in August, as his ties to pro-Russian elements in Ukraine were attracting scrutiny, Gates remained on the inaugural committee. Manafort continued to correspond with Gates about after the campaign ended, seeking favors for a bank CEO who had overseen one of his loan applications. Stephen Calk, CEO of Federal Savings Bank, was named to the Trump campaigns economic advisory council during the 2016 campaign.
The prosecution showed an email exchange between Manafort and Gates which said Calk would be named to the economic advisory council for the campaign. On Nov. 24, 2016, Manafort emailed Gates to say, “We need to discuss Stephen Calk for Sec of Army. I hear the list is being considered this weekend.”
Manafort also emailed Gates on Dec 23, 2016, requesting tickets to the inauguration for Calk and Stephen Calk, Jr.
