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| Paul Manafort: Trump's ex-campaign chair strikes plea deal with special counsel | Paul Manafort: Trump's ex-campaign chair strikes plea deal with special counsel |
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| Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, is preparing to plead guilty in a Washington court on Friday to avoid a second trial on further criminal charges. | Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, is preparing to plead guilty in a Washington court on Friday to avoid a second trial on further criminal charges. |
| A spokesman for Robert Mueller, the special counsel, said in an email that Manafort would appear in court at 11am for an arraignment and plea agreement hearing. | |
| A new document outlining charges against Manafort was filed by Mueller earlier on Friday. It said Manafort conspired to defraud the US through offences including money laundering and tax fraud, and conspired to obstruct justice by witness tampering. | |
| The filing indicated that Manafort would admit to these charges to avoid being prosecuted for others in Washington DC this month. It also suggested that, in addition to any prison sentence he might receive, Manafort had agreed to forfeit homes in New York and Virginia, and funds from five bank accounts. | |
| Manafort, 69, was last month convicted of eight counts in a fraud case brought by Mueller’s office in Virginia. The veteran Republican operative could be sentenced to decades in prison for those crimes. | Manafort, 69, was last month convicted of eight counts in a fraud case brought by Mueller’s office in Virginia. The veteran Republican operative could be sentenced to decades in prison for those crimes. |
| The agreement brings an end to several weeks of negotiations between his lawyers and Mueller’s team. Attorneys for Manafort did not respond to requests for comment. | |
| It was not clear whether Manafort had agreed to cooperate with Mueller’s inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He was previously reported to be resisting Mueller’s demands for information relating to Trump in return for a deal. | It was not clear whether Manafort had agreed to cooperate with Mueller’s inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He was previously reported to be resisting Mueller’s demands for information relating to Trump in return for a deal. |
| Before joining Trump’s campaign, Manafort worked extensively for pro-Kremlin politicians and oligarchs in Ukraine. Mueller’s team has been investigating whether his connections in the region are linked to Russia’s attack on the 2016 US election. US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia worked to boost Trump’s campaign. | Before joining Trump’s campaign, Manafort worked extensively for pro-Kremlin politicians and oligarchs in Ukraine. Mueller’s team has been investigating whether his connections in the region are linked to Russia’s attack on the 2016 US election. US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia worked to boost Trump’s campaign. |
| Following Manafort’s conviction in Virginia, Trump said he felt “very badly” for Manafort and praised him for refusing to become a cooperating witness for the government like the president’s former legal fixer, Michael Cohen, who separately pleaded guilty in New York to tax fraud, bank fraud and a campaign finance violation. | Following Manafort’s conviction in Virginia, Trump said he felt “very badly” for Manafort and praised him for refusing to become a cooperating witness for the government like the president’s former legal fixer, Michael Cohen, who separately pleaded guilty in New York to tax fraud, bank fraud and a campaign finance violation. |
| Trump’s attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, was quoted on Thursday saying that the president’s team remained in “open communication” with Manafort’s as part of an agreement to share information, renewing speculation that Trump may pardon the former aide for his crimes. | Trump’s attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, was quoted on Thursday saying that the president’s team remained in “open communication” with Manafort’s as part of an agreement to share information, renewing speculation that Trump may pardon the former aide for his crimes. |
| “There’s no fear that Paul Manafort would cooperate against the president because there’s nothing to cooperate about and we long ago evaluated him as an honorable man,” Giuliani told Politico. | “There’s no fear that Paul Manafort would cooperate against the president because there’s nothing to cooperate about and we long ago evaluated him as an honorable man,” Giuliani told Politico. |
| Manafort has been in jail for almost three months after his bail was revoked. Mueller’s team alleged that Manafort tried to tamper with witnesses in his case by contacting them and attempting to coordinate testimony. He was also charged with failing to register as a foreign agent. | Manafort has been in jail for almost three months after his bail was revoked. Mueller’s team alleged that Manafort tried to tamper with witnesses in his case by contacting them and attempting to coordinate testimony. He was also charged with failing to register as a foreign agent. |
| Paul Manafort | Paul Manafort |
| Trump-Russia investigation | Trump-Russia investigation |
| Washington DC | Washington DC |
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