Paul Manafort to Head Donald Trump’s New Washington, D.C. Office

GOP frontrunner Donald Trump’s new hire Paul Manafort, who recently joined the campaign to help organize delegate and convention strategy, will be heading Trump’s Washington, D.C. office.

Manafort, who has worked for 40 years as a lobbyist and political consultant, hasn’t lived full-time in Washington D.C. for years, according to the Washington Post. He instead travels between Alexandria, Virginia; Florida; and New York, where he has an apartment in Trump Tower.

“But despite his low inside-the-Beltway profile, no one underestimates Manafort as a formidable opponent who is unafraid to go to the mat for controversial, polarizing clients,” the Post reports. “The Trump job marks his re-emergence onto the U.S. political scene, one longtime friend said.”

“He’s going to be a major influence on Trump,” said the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s senior political strategist Scott Reed, who is also a longtime friend of Manafort. Reed managed Bob Dole’s unsuccessful 1996 presidential campaign.

***UPDATE***

The Trump campaign sent out a press release Thursday afternoon, announcing that the Washington, D.C. office will open next week and that Manafort with work closely with Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s campaign manager, as well as Deputy Campaign Manager Michael Glassner.

Trump stated in the press release:

My campaign continues to receive tremendous support from voters all across the country. We have won far more states, far more delegates, and millions more votes than any other candidate. The nomination process has reached a point that requires someone familiar with the complexities involved in the final stages. I am organizing these responsibilities under someone who has done this job successfully in many campaigns. This will allow the rest of my team to deal with the increasing needs of a national campaign for both the pre-Convention phase and most importantly, the general election. Paul is a well-respected expert in this regard and we are pleased to have him join the efforts to Make America Great Again.

Manafort added:

Securing the Republican nomination is an intricate series of steps that requires a comprehensive strategy. As part of the campaign team, my job is to secure and protect Mr. Trump’s nomination and that is what we will do. In this regard, I will be working closely with Mr. Lewandowski and Mr. Glassner to ensure Mr. Trump’s nomination. I am honored that he has allowed me to join him in this effort. Mr. Trump has created a historic campaign that has moved the American people. He is on the verge of an incredible victory.