Paul Ryan plans to focus on taxes despite special counsel’s increasing activity

House Speaker Paul Ryan isn’t going to allow the charges against Paul Manafort to derail the Republican agenda.

“It is big news, but this is what you get from a special counsel,” Mr. Ryan said after an event at Darien, Wisconsin, CNN reported. “They made an indictment. I really have nothing to add because I haven’t even read it, so I’m not going to speculate on something I haven’t read.”

The Wisconsin Republican was reacting to news that Mr. Manafort, former Trump campaign chairman, was indicted on 12 counts including money laundering and tax evasion for work he did in Ukraine prior to joining the campaign.

Mr. Manafort failed to disclose his work or the financial assets of that work. He and with his business partner Rick Gates were charged Monday and appeared in court. Both pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Early Monday, Mr. Ryan doubled down in a radio interview saying he planned to stay on message and that tax reform is still his main focus for the rest of the year.

“I really don’t have anything to add other than nothing is gonna derail what we’re doing in Congress because we’re working on solving people’s problems,” Mr. Ryan said on “The Jerry Bader Show.”