On Tuesday, President Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort was found guilty of eight felony charges, including bank fraud and tax fraud. The jury deadlocked on ten other charges, so the judge declared a mistrial on those charges. But partial verdicts are allowed, so the eight convictions stand. What’s next for Manafort?
A second (more dramatic) trial in a different case. In September, Manafort is scheduled to be tried on separate charges which also resulted from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation: Failing to register as a foreign agent of the Ukraine and witness tampering. Legal analysts say that case will be much more focused on the Trump campaign’s potential coordination with Russia, since it will address Manafort’s pro-Russia consulting work in the Ukraine, what the Trump campaign knew about it, and what was behind a pro-Russia change in the GOP platform that coincided with Manafort’s tenure at the head of Trump’s campaign.
A potential retrial on the ten deadlocked charges. Prosecutors could decide to seek to try Paul Manafort on the charges that ended in mistrial. Legal experts mostly agree this is unlikely.
Manafort could cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller. Manafort could decide to flip and provide evidence to Mueller’s investigation. In exchange, Mueller could offer to drop the second trial and have Manafort’s sentence reduced on the eight convictions from his first. Although Manafort didn’t work with Trump as intimately as Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen, Manafort could provide key details: What Trump knew about the Trump Tower meeting involving a Russian lawyer proffering dirt on Hillary Clinton, the GOP platform change, and any advance notice of Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee, for starters.
Could Trump Pardon Paul Manafort?
Yes, President Trump could pardon Manafort. Trump could vacate Manafort’s convictions with a presidential pardon. This would create a host of other complications: It would become a campaign issue in every Congressional midterm election this November and could become an albatross on the GOP; it would eliminate Manafort’s Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, so he could be compelled to testify before Congress; and it would not apply to any state charges that could be brought against Manafort in New York.
Manafort could appeal. Manafort has a right to appeal the convictions. Yesterday, his lawyer said he was weighing his options.
Manafort could simply be sentenced. As things stand now, Paul Manafort faces 80 years in prison for his eight current convictions. However, federal prosecutors say he will likely be sentenced to only eight to 10 years — in addition to whatever sentence could result from any convictions in the September trial. His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 29.
