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Trump's campaign manager Paul Manafort resigns

<p>Donald Trump's <a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-statement1" target="_blank">campaign chairman is out</a>.</p><p>The Republican nominee emailed the news to his supporters Friday morning saying, "This morning Paul Manafort offered, and I accepted, his resignation from the campaign."</p><p>He continued, "Paul is a true professional and I wish him the greatest success."</p><p><b>SEE MORE: <a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/trump-supporters-are-more-likely-to-be-racially-isolated/">The Average Donald Trump Supporter Might Not Be Who You Think They Are</a></b></p><p>Manafort's resignation could be another sign that the Trump campaign is struggling. Earlier this week, his camp announced <a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/donald-trump-has-made-some-big-changes-to-his-campaign-staff/" target="_blank">major staff changes</a>, triggering a lot of speculation.</p><p>Manafort has made headlines of his own this week, specifically for his actions while working for a <a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/manafort-s-political-work-in-ukraine-might-be-illegal/" target="_blank">Ukrainian politician</a>.</p><p>On Wednesday, Trump announced Breitbart News executive chairman Stephen Bannon would take over as his new campaign chief executive, a title very similar to Manafort's.</p><p>But Manafort <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/18/us/politics/donald-trump-stephen-bannon-paul-manafort.html" target="_blank">released a statement</a> that same day writing, "I remain the campaign chairman and chief strategist, providing the big-picture, long-range campaign vision."</p><p>As of Friday morning, Manafort hadn't commented on his resignation.</p><hr><b>Trending stories at <a href="http://www.newsy.com">Newsy.com</a></b><ul class="inline-related-links"><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/trump-adviser-accused-of-anti-semitism/">Another Accusation Of Anti-Semitism Plagues Trump Campaign</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/hillary-clinton-s-health-seems-to-be-just-fine/">Dr. Drew's Concern For Hillary Clinton's Health Is Probably Unfounded</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/trump-s-running-out-of-time-to-garner-more-support/">Trump Is Running Out Of Time To Garner More Support</a></li></ul>
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump's campaign chairman Paul Manafort resigned on Friday in the wake of campaign shake-up and revelations about his work in Ukraine.

In a statement issued as he arrived in Louisiana to tour the flood-ravaged state, Trump said Manafort offered his resignation Friday morning. The billionaire called Manafort "a true professional."

"I am very appreciative for his great work in helping to get us where we are today, and in particular his work guiding us through the delegate and convention process," Trump said.

Manafort's resignation comes a day after The Associated Press reported that confidential emails from Manafort's firm contradicted his claims that he had never lobbied on behalf of Ukrainian political figures in the U.S.

Emails between Manafort's deputy, Rick Gates, also a top Trump adviser, and the lobbying firm Mercury LLC showed that Manafort's firm directly orchestrated a covert Washington lobbying operation on behalf of Ukraine's then-ruling political party.

The effort included not just legislative outreach but also attempts to sway American public opinion and gather political intelligence on competing lobbying efforts in the U.S.

Manafort and Gates never registered as foreign agents for their work as required under federal law.

Also Friday, Ukrainian anti-corruption investigators released copies of handwritten ledgers detailing possible cash payments from Ukrainian political figures to Manafort totaling more than $12 million. Details of the payments described in the ledger were first reported by The New York Times. Manafort denies receiving those payments.

Earlier this week, Trump brought in a new campaign chief executive and campaign manager following a disastrous stretch in which the New Yorker committed a series of errors and fell behind Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in both national and battleground state preference polls.

The new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, had described Manafort and Gates as part of a new "core four" atop the Trump operation with her and CEO Stephen Bannon.