Paul Manafort
| Paul Manafort | |
|---|---|
| Born: | April 1, 1949 New Britain, Connecticut |
| Charges: | Tax fraud, Bank fraud, Conspiracy, Witness tampering |
| Sentence: | 7.5 years (pardoned) |
| Facility: | |
| Status: | Pardoned (December 2020) |
Paul John Manafort Jr. (born April 1, 1949) is an American former political consultant and lobbyist who served as chairman of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.[1] Manafort was convicted of federal crimes in two separate cases arising from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He was sentenced to approximately 7.5 years in prison for tax fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy, and witness tampering related to his work for pro-Russian political parties in Ukraine.[2] In December 2020, President Trump granted Manafort a full pardon before he had completed his sentence.[3]
Summary
Paul Manafort was one of the most prominent political consultants in Washington, advising Republican presidential candidates including Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bob Dole. His international lobbying work for authoritarian governments generated substantial income that became the subject of federal prosecution. The Special Counsel's investigation revealed that Manafort had hidden millions of dollars in foreign accounts, evaded taxes, and committed bank fraud while failing to register as a foreign agent.[4]
Manafort's prosecution was the highest-profile case to emerge from the Mueller investigation. His refusal to cooperate fully with prosecutors and subsequent pardon made his case emblematic of the political controversies surrounding the Trump administration's relationship with the investigation.[1]
Background
Manafort was born on April 1, 1949, in New Britain, Connecticut, to a politically connected family. His father, Paul Manafort Sr., served as mayor of New Britain. Manafort graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 1974 and began his political career working on President Gerald Ford's 1976 campaign.[5]
In 1980, Manafort co-founded a lobbying firm that became Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly, which represented a roster of foreign clients including authoritarian governments in the Philippines, Nigeria, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic. Beginning in 2004, Manafort worked extensively in Ukraine for the pro-Russian Party of Regions and its leader Viktor Yanukovych, earning tens of millions of dollars for his consulting work. This Ukrainian work became central to his federal prosecution.[4]
Indictment, Prosecution, and Sentencing
Special Counsel Investigation
Manafort became a target of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election due to his Ukrainian work and his role as Trump's campaign chairman. The investigation uncovered evidence that Manafort had failed to pay taxes on millions of dollars of income from his Ukrainian clients, had hidden the money in foreign bank accounts, and had lied to banks to obtain loans.[4]
Charges and Trials
Manafort faced charges in two federal districts. In the Eastern District of Virginia, he was charged with tax fraud and bank fraud. In the District of Columbia, he was charged with money laundering, failure to register as a foreign agent, and witness tampering after prosecutors alleged he attempted to contact witnesses while on bail.
On August 21, 2018, a jury in Virginia found Manafort guilty of eight counts, including five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of failing to disclose a foreign bank account. The jury deadlocked on ten additional counts. Rather than face a second trial in D.C., Manafort pleaded guilty on September 14, 2018, to conspiracy against the United States and conspiracy to obstruct justice, and agreed to cooperate with the Special Counsel's investigation.[1]
Sentencing
Prosecutors later alleged that Manafort had breached his cooperation agreement by lying to investigators. On March 7, 2019, Judge T.S. Ellis III sentenced Manafort to approximately 47 months in the Virginia case. On March 13, 2019, Judge Amy Berman Jackson added 43 months in the D.C. case, with 30 months running consecutively, bringing Manafort's total sentence to approximately 7.5 years.[2]
Prison Experience
Manafort began serving his sentence at FCI Loretto, a low-security federal correctional institution in Pennsylvania. Due to health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was released to home confinement in May 2020 after serving approximately two years. Manafort also faced state charges in New York, though those were dismissed on double jeopardy grounds.[6]
On December 23, 2020, President Trump granted Manafort a full pardon, ending his federal sentence. The pardon was one of several Trump issued to individuals connected to the Russia investigation and his 2016 campaign.[3]
Public Statements and Positions
Throughout his prosecution, Manafort maintained that the charges against him were politically motivated and unrelated to the Russia investigation's stated purpose. At sentencing, he expressed remorse, stating: "The last two years have been the most difficult years for my family and me." He acknowledged that his conduct was wrong but suggested the prosecution was unfair.[2]
Following his pardon, Manafort expressed gratitude to President Trump and stated that he believed he had been treated unjustly by the Special Counsel's office. He has not acknowledged wrongdoing beyond what was necessary for his guilty plea.[3]
Terminology
- Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA): A federal law requiring individuals who lobby or advocate on behalf of foreign governments or political parties to register with the Department of Justice.
- Conspiracy Against the United States: A federal crime involving an agreement to defraud the United States or its agencies.
- Special Counsel: A prosecutor appointed to investigate matters where the Department of Justice has a conflict of interest.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The New York Times, "Paul Manafort, Trump's Campaign Chairman, Convicted of Fraud," August 21, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/21/us/politics/paul-manafort-trial-verdict.html.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 U.S. Department of Justice, "Former Trump Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort Sentenced," March 13, 2019.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The White House, "Presidential Pardon for Paul Manafort," December 23, 2020.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III, "Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election," March 2019.
- ↑ The Atlantic, "The Tragedy of Paul Manafort," March 2018.
- ↑ Associated Press, "Paul Manafort released to home confinement," May 13, 2020.