Scaramucci tells banker trial jury about Trump's transition
NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Scaramucci recalled for a jury Thursday his role in filling jobs in former President Donald Trump's administration as he testified against a Chicago banker, saying he never would have considered the man for a job if he knew he was giving $16 million in loans to Trump's ex-campaign manager.
Scaramucci, 57, was testifying for the government in its case against Stephen Calk, the former chief executive of The Federal Savings Bank who has pleaded not guilty to financial institution bribery and conspiracy charges.
Answering questions from a prosecutor for an hour, Scaramucci said he had not known Calk before he was recommended for key positions in Trump's administration by Paul Manafort after Trump was elected to the presidency in November 2016.
Manafort, who served as Trump's campaign manager for a key stretch from June to early August 2016, reached out to Scaramucci in mid-to-late December 2016 to encourage him to consider Calk for an important post in Trump's administration, Scaramucci said.
Scaramucci said Manafort never mentioned he was trying to get $16 million in loans from Calk's bank for real estate ventures. If he had, Scaramucci said, he never would have considered Calk for a post.
After speaking with Calk on the phone on Dec. 27, 2016, Scaramucci received a series of text messages from Calk in the following days asking him about prospects for a Trump Tower interview for various positions, the witness recalled.
“I indicated to him I was doing my best to get him the interview that was requested but I also indicated that there seemed to be other people in line for those jobs,” Scaramucci said.
In early January, Calk sent a message to Scaramucci asking if he was “still in the game,” according to court exhibits. In another two days later, he...