Final Manafort Sentencing; New York indictments swiftly follows
By Mona Austin
Adding to the 43 years he received in a Virginia Court a week ago, today ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was sentenced to 47 more months in jail in a DC Court. Having served 9 months in solitary confinement already, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson decided the new sentence will run concurrently with the time handed down by Judge T.S. Ellis . He could have spent the rest of his life in jail as initial jail time estimates were up to 25 years. Considered unfairly lenient, some complain that the nearly 7.5 year he got are far less than the lengthy sentences imposed on people who commit blue collar crimes.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, the same judge who sentenced Jesse Jackson, Jr. for misuse of campaign funds, presided over the court proceedings. For Manafort, it was not about colluding with the Russian government as Pres. Trump has said. Judge Jackson said Russian collusion in this case was a non-sequitur. Manafort was convicted of mortgage-related bank and tax fraud, falsifying business documents and conspiracy. Violations included lying to the FBI repeatedly and consulting with a pro-Russian political group to name a few.
In a last ditch effort to appeal for mercy, while reading a note from a wheelchair, Manafort apologized for the first time. He said he has lost everything and wants to be with his wife, Kathleen who watched and listened to the court hand out her husband's fate with no expression. The sole bread winner for his family, Manafort explained, "She needs me and I need her. I ask that you consider our need for each other as you deliberate." Manafort acknowledged he could not undo the past but said, "I will ensure that the future will be very different."
With the outcome of today's events, life for Manafort, who sprinkled corruption along his long political career, will certainly be very different. Jackson dismissed the apology saying he was sorry for getting caught.
"It is hard to overstate the number of lies and the amount of fraud and the extraordinary amount of money involved," she said.
A few conditions of the sentencing include Manafort returning millions of dollars as restitution, somewhere between $6 million and $25 million.
Following the DC sentencing, New York's U.S. District Judge Amy Berman JacksoManhattan Dist. Atty. Cyrus Vance announced a 16-count indictment against Manafort alleging mortgage fraud. The indictment was already filed on March 7 and unsealed today minutes after the D.C. sentencing.
Manafort may not be eligible for a presidential pardon the New York case because the president's executive privilege only extends to federal crimes.
The Manafort case stemmed from the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller regarding possible Russian interference into the 2016 presidential election. Mueller had recommended that Manafort was not considered for a lesser sentence.
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| Web photo. Paul Manafort pictured in the foreground. |
Adding to the 43 years he received in a Virginia Court a week ago, today ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was sentenced to 47 more months in jail in a DC Court. Having served 9 months in solitary confinement already, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson decided the new sentence will run concurrently with the time handed down by Judge T.S. Ellis . He could have spent the rest of his life in jail as initial jail time estimates were up to 25 years. Considered unfairly lenient, some complain that the nearly 7.5 year he got are far less than the lengthy sentences imposed on people who commit blue collar crimes.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, the same judge who sentenced Jesse Jackson, Jr. for misuse of campaign funds, presided over the court proceedings. For Manafort, it was not about colluding with the Russian government as Pres. Trump has said. Judge Jackson said Russian collusion in this case was a non-sequitur. Manafort was convicted of mortgage-related bank and tax fraud, falsifying business documents and conspiracy. Violations included lying to the FBI repeatedly and consulting with a pro-Russian political group to name a few.
In a last ditch effort to appeal for mercy, while reading a note from a wheelchair, Manafort apologized for the first time. He said he has lost everything and wants to be with his wife, Kathleen who watched and listened to the court hand out her husband's fate with no expression. The sole bread winner for his family, Manafort explained, "She needs me and I need her. I ask that you consider our need for each other as you deliberate." Manafort acknowledged he could not undo the past but said, "I will ensure that the future will be very different."
With the outcome of today's events, life for Manafort, who sprinkled corruption along his long political career, will certainly be very different. Jackson dismissed the apology saying he was sorry for getting caught.
"It is hard to overstate the number of lies and the amount of fraud and the extraordinary amount of money involved," she said.
A few conditions of the sentencing include Manafort returning millions of dollars as restitution, somewhere between $6 million and $25 million.
Following the DC sentencing, New York's U.S. District Judge Amy Berman JacksoManhattan Dist. Atty. Cyrus Vance announced a 16-count indictment against Manafort alleging mortgage fraud. The indictment was already filed on March 7 and unsealed today minutes after the D.C. sentencing.
Manafort may not be eligible for a presidential pardon the New York case because the president's executive privilege only extends to federal crimes.
The Manafort case stemmed from the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller regarding possible Russian interference into the 2016 presidential election. Mueller had recommended that Manafort was not considered for a lesser sentence.
