Article snippet: WASHINGTON — In February 2016, after decades of lucrative paydays from foreign clients, Paul Manafort found himself at an inflection point. He was starting to give up hope of collecting millions of dollars owed to him by a Russian-aligned Ukrainian political party, and was straining to help his son-in-law salvage bad real estate investments. And he was also itching for one last shot on the American political stage. Over coffee at the Montage Beverly Hills hotel with an old friend, Thomas J. Barrack Jr., Mr. Manafort pursued an opportunity that he thought could solve his problems — joining Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign. And Mr. Barrack, one of Mr. Trump’s closest advisers, agreed to help make that happen. By the end of March, Mr. Manafort was on board, and in May, he was promoted to campaign chairman and chief strategist. Under Mr. Manafort’s direction, Mr. Trump secured the nomination, rallied much of the Republican Party establishment behind him and set the strategy that would take him to the White House. But instead of being a crowning achievement, the job that Mr. Manafort thought would turbocharge his consulting business set the stage for his downfall. Although Mr. Manafort was forced out of the Trump campaign less than three months before Election Day, his suddenly high profile set off increased scrutiny of his foreign consulting work by congressional and law enforcement investigators. The investigations have left Mr. Manafort, 68, owing millions o... Link to the full article to read more