Paul Manafort.
Summary: Paul Manafort has been accused of witness tampering.
Paul Manafort is on house arrest for numerous charges, including money laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent. On Tuesday, a judge ordered a new hearing to consider accusations that Manafort has been witness tampering in his case, and prosecutors want Donald Trump’s former campaign manager to await his upcoming trial in jail.
On Monday, court documents were filed claiming that Manafort had been contacting witnesses in the case and trying to get them to give false testimony. Manafort allegedly used encrypting messaging apps and phone calls to reach these witnesses, and Special Counsel Robert Mueller has proof of these interactions.
According to NPR, Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered a new hearing for June 15 to discuss the alleged witness tampering. Manafort, his attorneys, prosecutors, and witnesses are set to appear. Prosecutors have accused Manafort of impropriety, and they want his bail revoked and for him to spend his days in jail until his autumn trial.
NPR stated that this is not the only instance where Manafort has been accused of misconduct while he awaits trial. “Last year, Mueller’s team accused Manafort of working with an associate with alleged links to Russian intelligence to covertly write an opinion piece to try to sway public opinion. Prosecutors say that effort violated a court-imposed gag order,” NPR said.
Manafort faces criminal charges brought on by Mueller who is investigating Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential election. Mueller indicted Manafort last year, and Manafort has pled not guilty. He has denied all wrongdoing.
Manafort’s longtime business partner, Rick Gates, was also indicted; and Gates pled guilty to lying to the FBI and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
Manafort served as Trump’s campaign manager in the summer of 2016 but resigned after finding himself on the outs of Trump’s inner circle. Although Manafort only served as the campaign manager for a short time, he played parts in several key moments, including the infamous meeting that Donald Trump Jr. took with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower in 2016.
“Manafort joined the Trump campaign in March 2016 and served as its campaign manager from June to August of that year. The FBI reportedly opened a criminal investigation of Manafort in 2014. In July, FBI agents raided his home and seized documents. He surrendered to agents in October after being indicted by a federal grand jury,” NPR said.
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