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Former Trump campaign chairman expected to plead guilty, avoid new trial

Published:Friday | September 14, 2018 | 10:48 AM
Paul Manafort - AP photo

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was expected to plead guilty Friday to reduced federal charges in a deal with prosecutors that will allow him to avoid a second trial scheduled to begin next week, a new court filing shows.

The charges are related to Manafort’s Ukrainian political consulting work.

Friday’s court filing said Manafort’s homes in New York City, in the Hamptons and in Virginia, as well as money from his bank accounts and life insurance policies may be seized by the government as part of the deal.

It is not clear whether any agreement with prosecutors would require him to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation into possible coordination between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia.

In the new filing, prosecutors dropped the bulk of the charges against Manafort, filing new paperwork that includes just two counts that resemble in many ways the original allegations made in an indictment last year.

The charges were contained in a criminal information document that can only be filed with a defendant’s consent and typically signals a deal has been reached.

The charges include conspiracy against the United States and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

The allegations do not involve his work with the Trump presidential campaign.

Manafort was convicted last month of eight financial crimes in a separate trial in Virginia.

He was facing a second trial Monday on charges related to Ukrainian political consulting work, including failing to register as a foreign agent.

It’s unclear how the possible deal might affect Manafort’s pursuit of a pardon from President Donald Trump. 

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