Trump Campaign Manager Resigns after Troubled Stretch

Trump said in a statement on Friday he had accepted Manafort’s resignation, but did not offer an explanation for the departure.

It came in a week when Trump has already reshuffled top campaign leaders, effectively demoting Manafort, and has tried to be more disciplined and on message as he seeks to reset his campaign against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for the Nov. 8 election.

Questions have arisen about Manafort’s previous work for the political party of the Kremlin-backed former Ukrainian leader, Viktor Yanukovich.

A person close to the campaign said Trump had been unhappy with Manafort for a variety of reasons. Manafort, who first joined the campaign in March, had presided over a period in which Trump had formally sealed the Republican presidential nomination after seeing off 16 rivals, Reuters reported.

But the New York businessman, who has never held elected office, has also been embroiled in a series of controversies in recent weeks and has lagged Clinton in opinion polls.

In a shake-up in June, Manafort took over the running of the campaign after Trump fired Corey Lewandowski as manager. Wednesday’s moves meant a reduced role for Manafort, who had been brought in to try to bring a more professional touch but who had struggled to rein in Trump’s freewheeling ways.

“This morning Paul Manafort offered, and I accepted, his resignation from the campaign,” Trump said in a statement Friday. “I am very appreciative for his great work in helping to get us where we are today, and in particular his work guiding us through the delegate and convention process. Paul is a true professional and I wish him the greatest success,” Trump said.

Manafort has come under scrutiny over his work with pro-Russian political groups in Ukraine. Earlier Friday, a Ukrainian lawmaker offered more details of what he said were records of cash payments allocated to Manafort by Yanukovich’s party. Manafort has denied any wrongdoing.