Lobbyist Podesta to resign in fallout from Mueller action Brother of Clinton campaign manager to step yf in & Bas & | saveromyer Tony Podesta, brother of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign manai from the lobby group that bears his name, according to US media, in astep coinciding, with the first indictments from an inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 US. election. Mr Podesta’s resignation announcement to staff and clients, first reported by Politico, came after the charges depicted one of his company’s clients as a “mouthpiece” for Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovich Podesta Group has declared it worked for the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine ‘a non-profit organisation at the centre of special counsel Robert Mueller’s indietment revealed on Monday, that alleges it was a vehicle to promote Ukraine in the US. Itis illegal in the US not to declare a lobbying interest on behalf of a government, politician or political party President Donald Trump’s one-time campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his, deputy Rick Gates were indicted on Monday on 12 charges, including conspiracy against the US and failing to declare they were working for the Ukrainian government, at a time when it was close to Russia, Both pleaded not guilty“The Centre was used by Manafort, Gates, and others in order to lobby and conduct a public-relations campaign in the United States and Europe on behalf of the existing Ukraine regime,” according to the indictment, which alleges Mr Manafort and Mr Gates hired and directed two Washington firms to help. US media reported the Podesta Group as one of the two firms — referred to only as “Company B” — in the indictment. ‘The charges allege that Mr Manafort and Mr Gates had hidden their work on behalf of the Ukrainian government, concealing the scheme by developing “a false and misleading cover story”, while the two Washington companies undertook “extensive lobbying”. The two companies were paid $2m from offshore accounts controlled by ‘Mr Manafort, according to the indictment. According to the court papers, a principal at Company B told Mr Gates on August 16 last year that email traffic revealed Mr Gates to be “much more involved” than official correspondence had suggested “We will not disclose that but heaven knows what former employees of [Company B] ‘or [Company A] might say,” says the principal cited in the court flings. ‘Mr Podesta’s brother John was presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman and longtime adviser, as well as a previous chief of staff in President Bill Clinton's White House, His emails were hacked during the campaign. Podesta Group did not immediately return a request for comment. epyrgtt The Financ Times Lmed 2017 Al gh reserved, You may share using ou ale oD Plesse dont copy aniles fom FTcom and reistriste by email ost tte web vy fina Fas @ | siveromyer