Paul Manafort.
Summary: Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort is heading to jail.
After allegedly witness tampering, Paul Manafort will serve time in jail before his upcoming trial.
President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager has been charged with multiple offenses in the investigation conducted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Manafort was indicted in October along with his business partner Rick Gates. He was released on $10 million bail, awaiting a trial for September. However, two weeks ago, he was accused by Mueller of contacting witnesses and telling them what to say.
On Friday, Judge Amy Berman Jackson of Washington DC said, “I cannot turn a blind eye to this,” according to NBC News. She revoked Manafort’s bail and said that him going to jail was a better option than releasing him with more restrictions.
“This isn’t middle school, I can’t take your phone,” Jackson said.
Manafort faces charges including conspiracy and money laundering. He is one of a few Trump colleagues indicted by Mueller, but he is the only one to have not pled guilty.
Manafort’s colleague Gates has agreed to cooperate with the investigation for a plea deal.
Mueller was hired to see if Russia aided Trump in his win of the 2016 presidential election. Trump has denounced the probe, repeatedly calling it a “witch hunt.”
Trump also downplayed Manafort’s role in his campaign, and he does not appear to be on Manafort’s side. Trump tweeted that Manafort only worked for him for 49 days when in fact Manafort was with him for 144 days.
“You know, Paul Manafort worked for me for a very short period of time. He worked for Ronald Reagan. He worked for Bob Dole. He worked for John McCain, or his firm did. He worked for many other Republicans. He worked for me, what, 49 days or something. Very short period of time,” Trump said.
Manafort is heading to jail after he was accused of contacting a Russian associate, Konstantin Kilimnik, using encrypted messages while out on bond. Manafort allegedly told his comrade to reach out to two witnesses and tell them what to say.
This is not the first time that Manafort has shown bad behavior while on bond. In December, he was chastised by Judge Jackson after it was discovered he had written an opinion piece in a Ukrainian newspaper with the attempt to sway readers in his favor.
On Friday, Judge Berman said that her decision was not based on politics.
“This hearing is not about politics, is not about conduct of the office of the special counsel,” Berman said.
President Donald Trump, on the other hand, showed his disapproval of Manafort’s treatment, stating that his political rival Hillary Clinton should be focused on instead.
“Wow, what a tough sentence for Paul Manafort, who has represented Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other top political people and campaigns. Didn’t know Manafort was the head of the Mob. What about Comey and Crooked Hillary and all of the others? Very unfair!” Trump said on Twitter.
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