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| Paul Manafort found guilty on eight counts – live updates | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The vice chair of the Senate intelligence committee, Mark Warner, a Democrat who is helping lead the Senate’s Russia investigation, has a statement about Manafort’s conviction: | |
| This verdict makes it absolutely clear that the Mueller probe is not a ‘witch hunt’ — it is a serious investigation that is rooting out corruption and Russian influence on our political system at the highest levels. The President’s campaign manager was just convicted of serious federal crimes by a jury of his peers, despite the President’s continued attempts to undermine the investigation which has brought Mr. Manafort to justice. Any attempt by the President to pardon Mr. Manafort or interfere in the investigation into his campaign would be a gross abuse of power and require immediate action by Congress. | |
| A deluge of news from the Cohen and Manafort courtrooms ... | |
| For Manafort, the judge has said guilty on eight of eighteen counts. A mistrial on 10 counts. | |
| News: Judge in Manafort trial declares mistrial on 10 counts. The verdict will be read on 8 counts. | |
| BREAKING: Paul Manafort found guilty of 8 counts. 5 tax fraud charges, 1 charge of hiding foreign bank accounts, and two counts of bank fraud. | |
| How dangerous is Cohen for Trump? This excellent piece by Tom McCarthy has some answers. | |
| Apart from what he might be able to tell Mueller, the former aide could provide evidence of alleged elections law violations by the Trump campaign, legal analysts say. Or Cohen could damage Trump politically, exploding the president’s credibility – what remains of it – in a way that would change the basic picture of the man and his leadership. | |
| Cohen is not the only former Trump aide at a federal courthouse today, writes the Guardian’s Ben Jacobs, who is currently outside court in Alexandria, Virginia. | Cohen is not the only former Trump aide at a federal courthouse today, writes the Guardian’s Ben Jacobs, who is currently outside court in Alexandria, Virginia. |
| Jacobs is awaiting a verdict for the trial of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort on 18 counts of bank and tax fraud. | Jacobs is awaiting a verdict for the trial of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort on 18 counts of bank and tax fraud. |
| Jurors sent a note earlier in the day to ask what would happen if they were deadlocked on only one of the 18 counts, leading to the belief that they have reached consensus on the other 17. | Jurors sent a note earlier in the day to ask what would happen if they were deadlocked on only one of the 18 counts, leading to the belief that they have reached consensus on the other 17. |
| In the meantime, reporters and lawyers are camped out in the lobby of a hotel across the street. In between the hotel and the courthouse, an outdoor plaza has transformed into a vast television studio filled with a dozen television cameras set up for cable news liveshots. | In the meantime, reporters and lawyers are camped out in the lobby of a hotel across the street. In between the hotel and the courthouse, an outdoor plaza has transformed into a vast television studio filled with a dozen television cameras set up for cable news liveshots. |
| Cohen has entered the courtroom, according to local New York Daily News reporter Stephen Brown. | Cohen has entered the courtroom, according to local New York Daily News reporter Stephen Brown. |
| Michael Cohen enters the courtroom sporting a gold tie and dark suit. He came in through a side entrance often used for people who are in custody. (He’s not). Cohen attorney Guy Petrillo here. | Michael Cohen enters the courtroom sporting a gold tie and dark suit. He came in through a side entrance often used for people who are in custody. (He’s not). Cohen attorney Guy Petrillo here. |
| And the Associated Press said Cohen was seen leaving his apartment earlier and “traveling to the Manhattan offices of one of his lawyer, former federal prosecutor Guy Petrillo, before going into a building where the FBI has its New York offices.” | And the Associated Press said Cohen was seen leaving his apartment earlier and “traveling to the Manhattan offices of one of his lawyer, former federal prosecutor Guy Petrillo, before going into a building where the FBI has its New York offices.” |
| Sam Nunberg, a former Trump aide, brushed off Cohen’s guilty plea as unimportant in the larger scheme of things. “Unless I see a direct correlation and coordination on hacking of the emails, I don’t see what this does for getting the president removed from office,” said Nunberg. | Sam Nunberg, a former Trump aide, brushed off Cohen’s guilty plea as unimportant in the larger scheme of things. “Unless I see a direct correlation and coordination on hacking of the emails, I don’t see what this does for getting the president removed from office,” said Nunberg. |
| He saw this as a continuation of “Mueller playing Watergate” and trying to bring down Trump. | He saw this as a continuation of “Mueller playing Watergate” and trying to bring down Trump. |
| Nunberg noted that once after a television interview, he was informed by the special counsel’s office that prosecutors in the southern district were thinking about calling him. Although he never testified there, he saw it as an extension of the same effort, noting Mueller’s team has limited bandwidth and may not have jurisdiction in some cases. | Nunberg noted that once after a television interview, he was informed by the special counsel’s office that prosecutors in the southern district were thinking about calling him. Although he never testified there, he saw it as an extension of the same effort, noting Mueller’s team has limited bandwidth and may not have jurisdiction in some cases. |
| Nunberg also dismissed concerns that Cohen paid off women on Trump’s behalf. | Nunberg also dismissed concerns that Cohen paid off women on Trump’s behalf. |
| “So what do they [the prosecutors] have?” Nunberg said. “That Cohen paid off a woman and Trump told him to? My argument would be Trump has done this before, this wasn’t his first rodeo doing this.” | “So what do they [the prosecutors] have?” Nunberg said. “That Cohen paid off a woman and Trump told him to? My argument would be Trump has done this before, this wasn’t his first rodeo doing this.” |
| Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen is due to appear in a New York court at 4pm ET after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors investigating him for alleged financial fraud and other charges. | Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen is due to appear in a New York court at 4pm ET after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors investigating him for alleged financial fraud and other charges. |
| Cohen intends to plead guilty to at least one charge, according to multiple news organizations. | Cohen intends to plead guilty to at least one charge, according to multiple news organizations. |
| We’ll have analysis and details on the court hearing, which is less than 15 minutes away. The latest news story is below: | We’ll have analysis and details on the court hearing, which is less than 15 minutes away. The latest news story is below: |