By Catherine
Herridge, Bill Mears | Fox News
Former
Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, right, and his legal team, are suing
Special Counsel Robert Mueller, center, and Deputy Attorney General Rod
Rosenstein, alleging the Russia probe has gone beyond the scope of the special
counsel regulations.
Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his
legal team are suing Special Counsel Robert Mueller and Deputy Attorney General
Rod Rosenstein, alleging the Russia probe has gone beyond the scope of the
special counsel regulations, according to an 18-page civil complaint filed with
the district court in Washington.
"The investigation of Mr. Manafort is completely
unmoored from the special counsel's original jurisdiction to investigate ‘any
links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals
associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump.’”
In October, Manafort and his business partner Rick Gates
pleaded not guilty to a 12-count indictment that included allegations of money
laundering and making false statements in connection with their work in
Ukraine.
The complaint continued, "Those alleged dealings had
no connection whatsoever to the 2016 presidential election or even to Donald
Trump."
Manafort's legal team is asking the court "to hold those actions
unlawful and set them aside."
According to the complaint, Mueller was given additional
authority to pursue "any matters that arose or may arise from that
investigation."
Manafort’s legal team alleges the deputy attorney general
went beyond his "authority to appoint a special council as well as
specific restrictions on the scope of such appointments."
At the time of the May 2017 appointment of Mueller,
Rosenstein said, "It is in the public interest for me to exercise my
authorities and appoint a special counsel to assume responsibility for this
matter."
Meanwhile, Rosenstein arrived on Capitol Hill Wednesday
afternoon to meet with House Speaker Paul Ryan on the Russia investigation.
"Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein asked to meet with the speaker and we
accommodated the request," Ryan's office told Fox News, adding that FBI
Director Christopher Wray intended to meet with Ryan as well.
Manafort alleges he’s been "injured" by the
investigation, causing him "significant reputational harm, has exposed him
to invasions of his personal privacy, and has forced him to incur substantial
costs and expenses to defend himself."
A Justice Department spokesman told Fox News: “The
lawsuit is frivolous but the defendant is entitled to file whatever he wants.”
The Special Counsel’s office did not immediately return a
request for comment.
Fox
News' Doug McKelway and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
