An unwelcome distraction for Donald Trump, with polls already falling, is a New York Times story which turns the focus on his campaign manager Paul Manafort’s business dealing with the deposed pro-Russian Ukrainian President Yanukovych. Ukrainian government investigators say Yanukovych ran a corrupt network which looted Ukrainian assets and influenced elections. Manafort’s name appears in a ledger of an illegal off-the-books cash system, though he denies ever receiving the $12 million which was itemised. Manafort has done business with Oleg Deripaska, the Russian oligarch and close friend of Putin. And he helped Yanukovych’s administration draft a report defending its prosecution of his chief rival, Yulia V. Tymoshenko, in 2012, who spent nearly three years in prison on charges most thought trumped up.
Manafort, 1 April 1949, was an adviser to Gerald Ford, Reagan, GHW Bush, as well as a lobbyist for Congo’s Mobutu and Angola’s Savimbi (both African anti-communist leaders supported by the US); and Ferdinand Marcos, the corrupt and kleptocratic (= rule by thieves) dictator in the Philippines. Mobutu was also notorious for corruption, nepotism and embezzlement. Charming clients.
Manafort is a go-ahead Sun Mars Venus in Aries opposition Neptune and trine Pluto – so definitely ambitious on a stratospheric scale; with his Jupiter in money-minded Capricorn on the focal point of a Yod inconjunct Uranus sextile Saturn in Virgo, so an erratic risk-taker. Such a Yod focal point Jupiter can have a significant influence on society but can also be brought down by Jupiter’s Icarus tendencies to fly too high and then come crashing down.
He’s got nothing too catastrophic on his chart at the moment (without birth time) but does have a fair few mid-points as well as Solar Arc Venus, Mars, Sun picking up the tr Saturn opposition from late September and through the election, which will be deflating.
His relationship chart with Trump has a tough, bull-dozing composite Sun square Saturn Pluto – good for moving huge enterprises ahead, but not friendly, with the potential for strain and resentment. With a fairly explosive composite Mars Uranus conjunction though that’s not being much affected until next year. The composite midpoints look aggravated in September and downbeat in October.
Manafort’s Sun Mars Venus fall in Trump’s 8th house so a very secretive relationship with the focus on joint finances; and Manafort’s Uranus is conjunct Trump’s Sun so not ideal for co-operation. With Manafort’s Saturn on Trump’s Ascendant, he’ll certainly try to damp down Trump’s impulsiveness tho’ it could work the other way as well – with Trump feel his image is being diminished by him.