Law Firm Linked to Paul Manafort Settles US Foreign Agent Violations

WASHINGTON, LELEMUKU.COM - A prominent New York law firmwhose work for Ukraine came under scrutiny in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe reached a settlement with the U.S.Justice Department, acknowledging it should have should have registered as a foreign agent for that work and agreeing to turn over $4.6 million in fees, the department said Thursday.

The law firm, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, reached the settlement over its role in producing a 2012 report on the trial of Ukraine's former prime minister.

The Justice Department said a partner at Skadden Arps in2012 and 2013 had provided "false and misleading" statementsabout its work on the report, masking the true nature of itsclient and how the law firm was paid.

The report involved President Donald Trump's former campaignchairman, Paul Manafort, who has been prosecuted by Mueller inpart for his undisclosed lobbying work for pro-Russianpoliticians in Ukraine.

"The civil settlement announced today brings the firmclosure with the U.S. government regarding issues relating to areport we produced for the government of Ukraine in 2012,"SkaddenArps said in a statement. "We have learned much fromthis incident and are taking steps to prevent anything similarfrom happening again." (VOA)