McCain aide’s firm paid recently by Freddie Mac

WASHINGTON – The lobbying firm founded and co-owned by Rick Davis, the campaign manager for Sen. John McCain’s White House bid, received payments from Freddie Mac in recent months, despite assertions by Davis earlier this week that the firm’s work for the mortgage giant had ended three years ago.

An industry source told the Washington Post that Davis’ firm, Davis Manafort, continued to receive monthly payments in the $15,000 range from Freddie Mac until very recently, confirming an ongoing financial relationship reported Tuesday night in several other publications.

The source said Davis Manafort was paid for being on retainer to Freddie Mac but did little actual work after early 2007.

Two unidentified sources told Roll Call newspaper Tuesday that Davis Manafort is still receiving payments from the mortgage giant, one of the financial institutions at the center of the nation’s housing crisis. The New York Times reported Tuesday night that the payments stopped last month.

Both reports appear to contradict Davis’ comments to reporters on a conference call this week.