Trump ex-campaign chief Manafort to help Russia inquiry in plea deal

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-45525325

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Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has agreed to co-operate with an investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the US election as part of a plea deal.

In court on Friday, he pleaded guilty to two criminal charges in the deal with Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

The agreement avoids a second trial on money laundering and other charges.

Manafort was convicted last month on eight counts of fraud, bank fraud and failing to disclose banks accounts.

It was the first criminal trial arising from the justice department's investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

However, the charges only relate to Manafort's political consulting with pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine, largely pre-dating his role with the Trump campaign.

On Friday, he pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy against the US and one charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Manafort, 69, was a key figure in Mr Trump's inner circle, but the president has since sought to distance himself from his former adviser.

A statement from the White House on Friday said the plea deal had "nothing to do with the president or his victorious 2016 presidential campaign".

The charges in the second trial were set to include money laundering, conspiring to defraud the US, witness tampering and failing to register as a foreign agent. Jury selection was due to start on Monday and his guilty pleas avoided a lengthy trial.

In the first trial, Manafort was accused of using 31 foreign bank accounts in three different countries to evade taxes on millions of dollars.

Prosecutors presented evidence of Manafort's luxurious lifestyle, saying it was only possible because of his bank and tax fraud.

President Trump has branded the Mueller investigation a "witch hunt" and insisted there was no collusion between his team and Russia.