Manafort's Legal Troubles: Breaking The Law

Paul Manafort, former campaign manager for Donald Trump, was convicted in 2019 of a range of crimes, including acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign principal and issuing false and misleading FARA statements by not properly disclosing the nature of the consulting he did for a Kremlin-linked Ukrainian political party. This was a violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which requires foreign agents to disclose whom they're working for, what they're doing, and how much they're being paid. Manafort was also convicted of tax evasion, bank fraud, and witness tampering, among other charges. He was sentenced to 47 months in prison, but was pardoned by Trump in December 2020.

Paul Manafort was charged with acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign principal

Paul Manafort, a former lobbyist, political consultant, and attorney, was charged with acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign principal as part of Robert Mueller's Special Counsel investigation. Manafort was a long-time Republican Party campaign consultant and served as an advisor to several U.S. presidential campaigns. He also chaired Donald Trump's presidential campaign from June to August 2016.

Manafort's indictment included charges of engaging in a conspiracy against the United States, money laundering, failing to report foreign bank and financial accounts, making false statements, and violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

Manafort's failure to register as a foreign agent per FARA requirements was a key aspect of the charges against him. FARA mandates that individuals lobbying on behalf of foreign governments or political entities must register with the U.S. Department of Justice. Manafort's lobbying work for foreign leaders, including former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his pro-Russian Party of Regions, was not properly disclosed as required by law.

Manafort's involvement with Ukraine began around 2004 and continued until at least 2014. He played a significant role in Yanukovych's political comeback and advised him and his party for nearly a decade. Manafort also had dealings with Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, with whom he negotiated a $10 million annual contract to promote Russian interests in the U.S., Europe, and former Soviet republics.

In June 2017, Manafort retroactively registered as a foreign agent, disclosing that he earned over $17 million between 2012 and 2014 from his work for the pro-Russian political party in Ukraine. However, his filing was deemed deficient as it omitted certain details, including his lobbying contracts and a portion of his compensation.

The charges against Manafort highlighted his failure to comply with FARA requirements and his attempts to conceal his lobbying activities and financial gains, which were deemed a threat to U.S. national security and a breach of the public trust.

Manafort failed to disclose the nature of his consulting work for a Kremlin-linked Ukrainian political party

Paul Manafort, an American former lobbyist, political consultant, and attorney, failed to disclose the nature of his consulting work for a Kremlin-linked Ukrainian political party. Manafort worked as an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential campaign of Viktor Yanukovych and his pro-Russian Party of Regions. Manafort's work for the Party of Regions was funded by Rinat Akhmetov, a coal and metals magnate and early backer of the party.

Manafort's consulting work for the Party of Regions involved giving an extreme makeover to presidential hopeful Yanukovych, who had a criminal past and rough manners. Manafort's efforts included giving Yanukovych a new wardrobe, a coiffed hairdo, and elocution lessons. Manafort also helped rebrand the party after it was blamed for the violent 2014 revolution in Ukraine, which resulted in Yanukovych's overthrow and forced him to flee to Russia.

Manafort's work for the Party of Regions was not disclosed to the Justice Department as required by the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Manafort retroactively registered as a foreign agent in June 2017. Manafort was indicted in October 2017 on multiple charges arising from his consulting work for the Party of Regions, including acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign principal.

Manafort was convicted of eight charges of tax and bank fraud

Paul Manafort, former campaign chairman for Donald Trump, was convicted of eight charges of tax and bank fraud in August 2018. The conviction was the result of a 12-day trial in the Eastern District of Virginia, during which prosecutors called 27 witnesses and admitted over 300 documents into evidence. The evidence showed that Manafort had engaged in a complex, multi-year scheme to hide millions of dollars in foreign bank accounts and fraudulently apply for bank loans.

Manafort was found guilty of five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of hiding foreign bank accounts. The jury could not reach a unanimous decision on ten separate counts, including other charges of bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and failure to report foreign bank accounts.

The conviction was significant as it was the first trial win for Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose investigation had been repeatedly criticised by President Trump as a "witch hunt". It demonstrated the effectiveness of Mueller's detailed work and helped prove the legitimacy of the investigation to a skeptical public.

Following his conviction in Virginia, Manafort pleaded guilty in a separate case in the District of Columbia to two charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and witness tampering. He agreed to cooperate with prosecutors as part of a plea deal. However, this deal fell apart when Manafort was accused of lying to investigators, which breached the agreement.

In March 2019, Manafort was sentenced to a total of 73 months in prison for the Virginia and District of Columbia cases, with 30 months to be served concurrently. He was also ordered to pay a$24.8 million in restitution and a $50,000 fine.

Manafort pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiracy to defraud the US and witness tampering

Paul Manafort, former US lobbyist, political consultant, and attorney, pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiracy to defraud the US and witness tampering. This came after Manafort was prosecuted in two federal courts, one of which saw him convicted of eight charges of tax and bank fraud.

The conspiracy to defraud the US charge relates to Manafort's work as a lobbyist for foreign countries, including Ukraine, Nigeria, and the Philippines. Lobbying for foreign governments requires registration with the Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Manafort did not do this at the time of his lobbying and only registered retroactively in June 2017.

The witness tampering charge relates to Manafort's attempts to convince others to lie about an undisclosed lobbying effort on behalf of Ukraine's former pro-Russian government. This occurred while Manafort was under house arrest, which led to his bail being revoked and him being held in jail until his trial.

Manafort's guilty plea was part of a deal with special counsel Robert Mueller, in which he also agreed to forfeit cash and property worth an estimated $11-$26 million and to cooperate fully with the investigation. However, Mueller later reported that Manafort had violated the terms of his plea deal by repeatedly lying to investigators, which led to the deal being voided.

Manafort lied to investigators, breaking his plea agreement

Paul Manafort, former campaign chief for Donald Trump, was accused of breaching a plea bargain agreement by lying to the FBI and investigators from Robert Mueller's team. Manafort's lawyers denied the allegations, stating that he had provided truthful information. However, Mueller's team asserted that Manafort had lied "on a variety of subject matters" and "on a range of issues". Manafort's alleged lies included denying that he had shared polling data from the 2016 campaign with a business associate tied to Russian intelligence.

The breach of the plea agreement had significant consequences for Manafort. Firstly, it resulted in the loss of a key witness for Mueller's investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Secondly, it exposed Manafort to the possibility of harsher sentences and additional criminal charges. Mueller's team did not recommend a specific prison sentence but emphasised Manafort's extensive pattern of deceit and the gravity of his crimes, which included tax and bank fraud.

On February 13, 2019, Judge Amy Berman Jackson agreed that Manafort had violated the plea deal, voiding the agreement. Manafort was subsequently sentenced to a total of 90 months in prison.

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