I think you're mixing up Manafort and Flynn here. I'm saying that Trump absolutely knew what Manafort was doing, and that Manafort lied about his intentions.
There was some, but I don't think any more than other campaigns have probably done. I'm not a fan of Fusion GPS and other hit jobs like them. I think that candidates should spend their time working on policy, that they can sell to the voters to make our country better. Digging up dirt seems to be a bigger priority now, and we're left choosing the lesser of two evils, instead of the best man/woman.