Donald Trump Former Campaign Director Paul Manafort Guilty of Multiple Fraud Charges

Ex-Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort has been found guilty on eight charges of tax fraud, bank fraud and failing to disclose foreign banks accounts.But the jury at his trial in Virginia failed to reach a verdict on 10 other charges and the judge declared a mistrial on those. It was the first criminal trial arising from the justice department probe into alleged Russian election meddling. But none of the charges relate to collusion with Russia in the election. 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. The verdict came on the fourth day of jury deliberations. The judge has given prosecutors until 29 August to decide whether to ask for a fresh trial on the charges the jury was deadlocked on. A lawyer for Manafort, Kevin Downing, said his client was “disappointed” with the verdict and was “evaluating all of his options at this point.” A date for sentencing has yet to be set. Prosecutors presented evidence of Manafort’s luxurious lifestyle – including photos of a $15,000 (£11,000) ostrich coat. Judge Ellis scolded the prosecution for spending too much time on Manafort’s wealth, saying it “isn’t a crime to have a lot of money”. But prosecutors had emphasised Manafort’s extravagant spending was only possible because of his bank and tax fraud. He was accused of using 31 foreign bank accounts in three different countries to evade taxes on millions of dollars.The prosecution’s star witness was Manafort’s former associate Rick Gates, who has admitted embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from Mr Manafort while allegedly helping his boss commit tax crimes. The defence sought to undercut Gates’ credibility by citing his “secret life”, and noting that he had told so many lies he could not keep track of them all.  The judge also said he had been receiving threats related to the Manafort case and was under US Marshal Service protection. He added that he would not release juror names due to safety concerns.Photo Credit: Getty

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