US Federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson moved the start date for the second trial for Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign manager, to September 24, media reported on Tuesday.
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th August, 2018) US Federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson moved the start date for the second trial for Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign manager, to September 24, media reported on Tuesday.
The judge decided to begin jury selection on September 17, the day that was initially set for the beginning of the trial which will take place in a Washington, DC court, NBC news reported.
Last week, a jury in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia found Manafort guilty on eight counts, including bank fraud and tax evasion. The court declared a mistrial on ten other counts.
On Monday, US media reported that Manafort tried to make a plea deal with prosecutors ahead of the second trial but the talks fell apart. The conversations about a plea deal between the defendant's legal team and prosecutors reportedly happened last week, The Wall Street Journal said citing sources familiar with the matter.
Manafort during the second trial will be facing charges of money laundering, failing to register as a foreign agent, and witness tampering.
US President Donald Trump last week said that he felt bad for Manafort and his family and pointed out that the verdict had nothing to do with the campaign's alleged collusion with Russia. However, Special Counsel Robert Mueller brought charges against Manafort as part of the probe into Russia's role in the 2016 US presidential election.
Moscow has refuted all allegations of meddling in the November 8 election and of colluding with Trump associates in order to help the Republican candidate win the race.
