Recent reports of Paul Manafort's Virginia home being raided by the FBI are revealing further developments in the Trump-Russia investigation involving the Trump campaign's former manager. Bloomberg reported that over the past few weeks after a grand jury was convened by special prosecutor that they had subpoenaed Paul Manafort's accounts with global banks, his business connections and even his estranged son-in-law Jeffrey Yohai.

Paul Manafort's shady business dealings

Back in June, the New York Times reported that the FBI were investigating Yohai who took investor money through partnerships in real-estate.

Manafort funded those partnerships in New York and Los Angeles. Authorities had been looking into the claims made by an investor that Yohai had been operating a Ponzi scheme. Some of those partnerships ended up declaring bankruptcy.

At the time, it was unknown whether the FBI's investigation on Yohai was related to the Trump-Russia investigation. But with the recent subpoenas sent out, it's likely that the current criminal probe will now definitely include Yohai.

Currently, congressional committees, the Attorney General for New York and the District Attorney for Manhattan are "circling" Manafort over mortgages and loans that the Bloomberg article titled: "With bank subpoenas, Mueller turns up the heat on Manafort" calls "an unusual combination."

The U.S.

Attorney in Manhattan has been looking into a business called CMZ Ventures that was backed by Paul Manafort and looking to develop a luxury skyscraper in Park Avenue in 2008.

Making connections to money laundering operation

The skyscraper never happened and CMZ closed down in 2009 but not before it got $25 million from Dimitry Firtash who is a Ukrainian oligarch.

The Bloomberg article said that Firtash's attorney stated that the oligarch was not cooperating with the special counsel because of a pending indictment in Chicago. It's also pointed out that it's believed the business was set up to launder money through the U.S. financial system.

But this too triggers the view that Donald Trump used Trump Tower to launder Russian money as well.

The New Republic reported in July in an article titled: "Trump's Russian laundromat" that Trump Tower housed an international crime syndicate and was financed by members of the Russian mafia. The view from many is that with several bankruptcy's under his belt, Donald Trump accepted financing by the Russians to continue to launder money through Trump Tower. President Trump has attacked the investigation saying that it was a hoax created by Democrats who were still sour for losing the election. His special counsel has denied that there is any investigation on Trump at all.
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