Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, has been convicted of financial fraud after he was found guilty on eight counts charges by a court on Tuesday.
This is surely a good news for Special counsel, Robert Mueller, whose prosecutors built the case that Paul Manafort was hidding millions of dollars in foreign accounts to evade taxes and lied to banks repeatedly to obtain $20 million in loans.
Pual Manafort was convicted of five counts of tax fraud charges, two counts of bank fraud and one count of failure to disclose a foreign bank account. But the jury was unable to reach a verdict on 10 of the 18 counts and the judge declared a mistrial on those charges.
According to a report, Paul Manafort could face a possible 80-years in jail if finally found guilty, which he has already, and waiting sentencing.
Paul Manafort who was charged with 18 counts of tax evasion, bank fraud, and hiding foreign bank accounts in the first case, was what Muller brought to trial as part of an inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election or on whether Mr. Trump has sought to obstruct the investigation.
But it was the first test of the special counsel’s ability to prosecute a case in a federal courtroom amid intense criticism from the president and his allies that the inquiry is a biased and unjustified witch hunt.
Also, in another case involving Michael Cohen, in New York Court pleaded guilty on multiple counts of campaign finance violations, tax fraud, and bank fraud, as a plea deal is being worked out, while judgment will be served by 12th of December 2018.
A plea deal could be a significant blow for Trump, as Cohen has been key members of Trump’s inner caucus, for more than a decade, working as his personal attorney at the Trump Organization and continuing to advise the President after the election.
If Cohen is finally sentenced, it could be the beginning of the end for Trump and all other of his associates, as relating to the alleged Russia interference and campaign funding, , especially those having one or two allegations hanging over their heads, including his son inlaw Jared Kushner.