Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort was placed under surveillance by U.S. authorities after he resigned in August 2016, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
But law enforcement did not listen to his "phone communications in real-time" and instead might have obtained "copies of his emails and other electronically stored communications, or by having agents follow him or conduct physical searches of his property," the Journal reported.
The newspaper based its dispatch on "U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter."
The surveillance began in August, "but it is not clear when it was suspended," the Journal reported.
Manafort was ousted after damaging reports about his ties with Ukranian leaders and allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He also is under investigation by Russia special counsel Robert Mueller for possible violations relating to his consultant work for Ukraine's former ruling party.
Manafort has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Russia has denied any role in the presidential election — and President Donald Trump has slammed the Moscow probe as a "witch hunt."
In July, agents for Mueller served a search warrant on Manafort's Northern Virginia home, obtaining materials linked to foreign bank accounts and other tax matters, people familiar with the raid told the Journal.
FBI Director Christopher Wray met this week with congressional officials to discuss the agency's surveillance of Manafort, "a person briefed on the discussion" told the Journal.
An agency spokesman declined to comment on the meeting.
Though his spokesman, Jason Maloni, Manafort said he had been caught up amid the Russia probe and slammed the Obama White House for "pursuing surveillance against a political opponent."
"It's unclear if Paul Manafort was the objective," Maloni told the Journal. "Perhaps the real objective was Donald Trump."
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