WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th September, 2018) Paul Manafort, former chairman of the Trump campaign, pleaded guilty in the Federal case in the US District Court in Washington, DC on Friday and agreed to cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team in the investigation into allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
"Paul J. Manafort, Jr., 69, of Alexandria, Va., pleaded guilty today to a superseding criminal information filed today in the District of Columbia, which includes conspiracy against the United States (conspiracy to commit money laundering, tax fraud, failing to file Foreign Bank Account Reports and Violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and lying and misrepresenting to the Department of Justice) and conspiracy to obstruct justice (witness tampering)," a court filing said.
Manafort changed his previous plea after he has been found guilty on eight counts by a federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, including bank fraud and tax evasion. The judge declared a mistrial on ten other counts.
The cooperation agreement states that Manafort will work with US federal prosecutors "fully, truthfully, completely and forthrightly." Moreover, the FBI can ask for Manafort's participation in the probe in all matters the government determines relevant.
"The defendant agrees to be fully debriefed and to attend all meetings at which his presence is requested, concerning his participation in and knowledge of all criminal activities," the court document said.
Manafort also agreed to provide investigators with all documents related to the ongoing investigation and take part in undercover activities if he is given such instructions by the FBI.
Under the plea deal, Manafort is required to testify at any court proceedings requested by the authorities and must provide truthful statements during the testimonies.
Manafort will also forfeit multiple properties and $46 million in assets to the US government, which amounts to the earnings from his consultancy work in Ukraine plus taxes he has not paid.
Finally, Manafort cannot try to profit from sharing information about his case by telling his story through books, movies, articles, speeches, blogs, podcasts, interviews and the like.
Per the agreement, Manafort can be sentenced to prison for a maximum of ten years and he would serve time for both cases filed against him in the state of Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Following the announcement of Manafort's plea deal, the White House issued a statement saying that the case should not be associated with President Donald Trump.
"This had absolutely nothing to do with the president or his victorious 2016 presidential campaign. It is totally unrelated," White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in the statement.
The administration stood by its earlier announced position that Manafort worked for the Trump campaign for a very short period of time and never tried to connect then-Republican candidate with foreign governments, including with Russia.
Trump's attorney Rudolph Giuliani said Manafort should tell the truth to the US federal prosecutors and also that the US president has nothing to be concerned about from this development.
Trump has not commented on the recent developments yet, despite US media reported the president was following the plea announcement. The ruling in the first Manafort's trial has received Trump's reaction. Back in August, the president tweeted he felt "very badly" for his former associate and had respect for "a brave man." This statement sparked immediate debates over a possible Trump's pardon for Manafort. Yet, the administration insisted the commutation has been never discussed and has not been considered by the president.
DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS PRAISE MUELLER VICTORY
Democratic lawmakers treated Manafort's guilty plea as a win for Mueller, because the former Trump campaign official has been refusing to partner with the FBI for a long time and his attorney had said earlier such partnering would never happen.
US Congressman Adam Schiff praised Mueller's work, but advised refraining from issuing a final judgment until Manafort demonstrates a commitment to assist prosecutors in the Russia investigation.
"Another victory for Mueller as Manafort pleads guilty, admits allegations against him and agrees to cooperate," Schiff said via Twitter. "We must reserve judgment on the value of his cooperation, given he's had joint defense agreement with Trump, hopes for a pardon and has admitted to obstructing justice."
US Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner said the guilty plea shows the seriousness of the Russia probe and proves that the Trump campaign has colluded with Moscow.
"Today's admission of criminal guilt by Paul Manafort clearly demonstrates that the President's 2016 campaign manager conducted illegal activity in conspiracy with Russian-backed entities," Warner said via Twitter.
Warner warned that a possible pardon or any other attempt to meddle in the cooperation process between Manafort and the FBI would qualify as an abuse of power and obstruction of justice.
US Congressman Eric Swalwell, another vocal supporter of the Russia investigation, recalled that two other Trump associates have pleaded guilty in the Mueller's probe: former National Security Advise Michael Flynn and former personal lawyer Michael Cohen. Swalwell argued these made it hard believe that the US president himself is not corrupt just like the people who surround him.
The charges against Manafort were filed as part of Mueller's investigation into the Trump campaign's alleged connections with Russia during the 2016 presidential race and the transition.
Russia has refuted all allegations of meddling in the US election and of colluding with Trump associates saying the allegations have been invented to excuse the election loss of a presidential candidate as well as to deflect public opinion from actual instances of election fraud and corruption.
Trump has called the investigation a witch hunt and has urged the special counsel to conclude the probe as soon as possible because no credible evidence has been offered in more than a year.
