After nearly four full days of deliberations, a federal jury in Virginia convicted President Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort on 8 counts, related to bank fraud, filing false tax returns and the failure to report foreign bank accounts.
The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the 10 remaining counts, meaning that a mistrial for those counts will be declared by the judge. A jury note indicates that Manafort could face up to 80 years in prison for these convictions.
MANAFORT WILL FACE A MAX OF 80 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON @USATODAY pic.twitter.com/mpAE13neru
— Christal Hayes (@Journo_Christal) August 21, 2018
“As a legal matter, this is a complete and total defeat for Manafort,” explained Renato Marrioti, a former federal prosecutor and CNN legal analyst. “He will get the same sentence that he would have received if he was convicted on all 18 counts. The number of counts of conviction doesn’t impact federal sentencing. In a typical case, prosecutors wouldn’t bother going forward with a second trial on the other 10 counts. And most defendants would plead guilty in the second case. But this is not a typical case.”
Paul Manafort, 69, was a chief player within the Trump campaign in 2016, before leaving the campaign under pressure. While the President continues to claim that he only played a minor role in the campaign, Manafort was chairman for one of the most crucial periods prior to the 2016 presidential election.
Manafort will face an additional trial in Washington D.C. related to separate charges next month.
