Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign chief, was stopped by Federal Authorities from boarding a Dubai flight from Miami because he wanted to use a lost passport.

Manafort was pardonedby the former President Donald TrumpIn late 2020, criminal convictions in connection with the Republican operative’s work in Ukraine as a consultant for a proRussian political party.

He had been scheduled to fly on Emirates at 9:10 p.m., bound for Dubai, when Customs and Border Patrol officials prevented him from boarding, NBC News reported.

Manafort can leave the country and apply for a passport. He tried to travel using an invalid passport. It wasn’t clear why.

Dubai’s international airport has connections to several Russian airports.

Manafort managed Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016 for several month.

He was at a June 2016 meeting in Trump TowerDonald Trump Jr. was accompanied by Jared Kuusher (Trump’s son) and a Russian lawyer, who suggested that she may have damaging information regarding Hillary Clinton.

Manafort became a prominent defendant in criminal cases brought by Robert Mueller as part the investigation by that prosecutor into Russian interference and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and that meddling.

He eventually was sentenced to 7½ years in prison in 2019 after being convicted of financial crimes related to his work in Ukraine, which was not connected to Russian interference in the U.S. election.

Manafort was released from Pennsylvania’s prison in May 2020 after he became concerned that he might be at greater risk of contracting the Covid-19 disease. Trump, who lost November’s presidential election, pardoned Manafort months later. Joe Biden.

Manafort’s passport was cancelled in October 2017, after his arrest. However, it was returned by FBI to Manafort after Trump’s pardon.

Manafort’s lawyer didn’t immediately reply to my request for comment.