Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the alleged collusion between the 2016 Trump presidential campaign and Russian government operatives took another unexpected twist on Monday night.
BREAKING: According to a court filing, Robert Mueller's office says former Trump campaign Chairman Paul Manafort lied to the FBI and Special Counsel and is in breach of his plea agreement. pic.twitter.com/akA5JyTZsC
— Hardball (@hardball) November 27, 2018
Prosecutors announced that Paul Manafort, former campaign manager for the Trump campaign, has violated the plea agreement he made in exchange for a reduced sentence by lying on “a variety of issues” to investigators.
‘After signing the plea agreement, Manafort committed federal crimes by lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Special Counsel’s Office on a variety of subject matters, which constitute breaches of the agreement.’
"After signing the plea agreement, Manafort committed federal crimes by lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Special Counsel’s Office on a variety of subject matters, which constitute breaches of the agreement." pic.twitter.com/9MmoSZUYsC
— Scott Stedman (@ScottMStedman) November 26, 2018
Manafort had previously agreed to cooperate with the Mueller investigation as he faced numerous charges in both New York and Washington, D.C. Prosecutors now say he should be sentenced immediately due to the plea deal’s collapse.
‘The apparent collapse of Manafort’s cooperation agreement is the latest stunning turnaround in his case, exposing the longtime Republican consultant to more than a decade behind bars after pleading guilty in September on charges of cheating the Internal Revenue Service, violating foreign lobbying laws and attempting to obstruct justice.
‘The court filing indicated Mueller’s team also had suffered a potential setback, after gaining access to a witness with potential knowledge of several key events relevant to the probe during his tenure with Trump’s campaign from March to August 2016, including a Trump Tower meeting attended by a Russian lawyer and the Republican National Convention.’
Paul Manafort violated plea agreement by lying repeatedly to the FBI, special counsel Robert Mueller’s team says https://t.co/FEYKmNiUaK pic.twitter.com/24nkgPCqkm
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) November 27, 2018
Manafort will now face full prosecution and a lengthy sentence for his crimes in both cities.
‘Under an agreement with prosecutors, Manafort faces a maximum prison sentence of about 10 years, not counting a sentence for his August conviction in Virginia for bank and tax fraud. He was ordered to forfeit an estimated $15 million he hid from the Internal Revenue Service, but permitted to keep some property held with family members.’
Breaking News: Robert Mueller said that Paul Manafort, President Trump's former campaign chairman, violated his plea deal by lying to investigators https://t.co/GqMDALDWSR
— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 27, 2018
Featured image via Flickr by Mike Licht under a Creative Commons license
